What Is Kazy?

Kazy is a meat product that resembles sausage in some aspects and is served mainly in Central Asian countries such as Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. The food is made from the rib meat of horses that have been raised specifically to be eaten. The meat is stuffed inside the animal's intestines and then usually dried or smoked before it is boiled for consumption. In a traditional spread of food and appetizers known as a dastarkhan, kazy is sometimes served on a plate along with onions and ground pepper. It also can be used on sandwiches or in some other dishes in which it is boiled and served with green peas or other vegetables.

The availability of kazy in Western countries such as the United States might be limited because of various laws that prohibit the consumption of horse meat. In some Central Asian countries, however, horses have long been a traditional source of meat. Animals that are designated to be used as food are generally raised differently from those used for other functions, such as transportation. The meat that is used in the sausages is very lean and has a slightly gamey taste.

The first step in making traditional kazy is to clean out the intestines of the horse. The intestines are then placed in salted water, where they are allowed to soak for several hours. This helps to remove any unwanted flavors and also makes the intestines more pliable.

The meat used for kazy is taken from the ribs of the horse. It is first salted and hung to allow any residual blood to drain from the cut and also to let the meat dry just a little. With a very sharp knife, the meat is cut into strips and removed from the rib cage. Both the inner and outer muscles are removed, with the butcher being careful to include a certain amount of fat with each slice but avoiding any inedible parts, especially bone fragments.

The strips of meat are salted again and mixed with pepper and garlic. After spending some time sitting in a damp wrap, it is ready to use. The intestines are carefully stuffed with the strips, after which the casing is tied to seal the meat inside. In most instances, the meat is hung to dry to develop its flavor and texture, although it also can be cooked immediately. Even if first dried or smoked, it is traditional to boil kazy for two or three hours before it is served.