Compared with lamb meat, sheep meat seems not to be talked about much like lamb meat. However sheep meat is considered one of the important sources in food. It has been owned a long story in the food history.
Sheep from the beginning days
Before talking about the story of sheep meat, look back the time when the sheep was domesticated. It was said that sheep was domesticated very long time ago. The time it was maybe more than 10.000 years ago. It was considered the second domesticated animal after dogs.
After the life was attached with hunting and gathering of human, sheep was one of the first main animals domesticated. It closed with human life as a herd of cattle grazed carefully. And it brought the rich benefits to the human not only food but also fur and milk from the beginning of a progressive life.
In the spiritual life, sheep was an important image. In the Bible, sheep and lamb were not only the source for food, they were also the important symbol. The Old Testament mentioned the sheep as a sacrifice, an important offering represented from people to God. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ was talked about as a good and kind shepherd who always cared to his people carefully.
And in the later centuries, sheep was grazed as an important and main animal in some areas in the world and used as a main source for meat, fur and milk.
Sheep meat in the food history
Related to the history of sheep, many people think of the feeding sheep for fur and milk mostly. It was certainly that sheep meat was used as much as grazing for fur and milk. It was believed that sheep meat was one of the first protein sources from animals for human from the beginning.
In the Middle age, sheep meat was concerned as mutton or lamb for dishes. At this time, the meat from the young sheep were to be more attention while the aging sheep were for fur and milk. Understanding easily just because the meat from the young sheep or called lamb was better in the plates.
Till the later centuries, sheep meat still be the important meat in the meat list for protein but it was in the classification to be quite clear. The sheet meat has been used such as sheep meat from the sheep about 2 years old. And the good sheep meat has been considered the meat from the very young sheep called lamb. They have been under a year.
Sheep meat today
Mostly concerning about sheep meat today is base on the taste and nutrition that good for health. It is believed that the meat from the young sheep or called lamb is better than adult sheep. That is the reason why lamb meat is usually mentioned in the modern cuisine in different places more than sheep meat. The definition generally that sheep meat is considered the meat from the aging sheep over 2 years or over 1 year to some areas.
Related to nutrition and health concretely, sheep meat is arranged in the red meat list like pork and beef. It is advised not to use or use in limit and under control to protect the health. However it is believed the meat from lamb is a good source of protein needed to the human body. It brings the certain benefits to the body in the case of consuming under consideration.
Sheep meat today is still popular meat in Europe, Australia, Africa, the Caribbean, India. It is not so widely used in America and Asia. The use of sheet meat generally, mutton or lamb in particular depend on different situations such as grazing conditions, culture, culinary habits and other factors. And in the livestock, sheep meat is always a one part of active transactions that bring the certain profits for the countries participated.
