the local cuisine, particularly in the area that extends southeast from the city, historically called Saccisica. Specialties based on horse meat constitute the main courses and best attractions of several typical restaurants in the zone. They are also served among other regional delicacies at the food stands of many local festivals, related to civil and religious anniversaries. Most notable is the , held annually in the small town of Legnaro and totally dedicated to horses, included their consumption for food. Some traditional dishes are: : tiny frayings of horse meat, dried and seasoned; to be consumed raw, can be a light and quick snack, more popular as a topping on other dishes: ex. pasta, risotto, pizza, salads, etc. : a thin soft horse steak, cut from the diaphragm, variously cooked and dressed on the grill, pan or hot-plate : colt steak, whose preparation is similar to : also said , small chunks of horse meat, stewed with onion, parsley and/or other herbs and flavours, potatoes, broth, wine, etc., usually consumed with polenta, much appreciated also is a similar stew made of donkey meat, served in traditional trattorie, with many variations for different villages: , , , : horse ham, served in very thin slices or : various kinds of salami, variously produced or seasoned, sometimes made of pure equine meat, sometimes mixed with others (beef or pork) Bigoli : a typical form of fresh pasta, similar to thick rough spaghetti, dressed with sauce like Bolognese sauce, but made with minced horse meat : horse stew, seasoned with sauce, vegetables and various peperoncino, widely used in the Salento In southern Italy, horse meat is commonly eaten everywhere - especially in the region of Apulia, where it is considered a delicacy. It is a vital part of the () in Bari and of the Pezzetti di cavallo, a stew with tomato sauce, vegetables and chili, popular in Salento. According to British food writer Matthew Fort, "The taste for donkey and horse goes back to the days when these animals were part of everyday agricultural life. In the frugal, unsentimental manner of agricultural communities, all the animals were looked on as a source of protein. Waste was not an option." Malta In Malta, horse meat () is seared and slowly cooked for hours in either tomato or red wine sauce. A few horse meat shops still exist and it is still served in