An article in a nutrition newsletter encouraged me to eat more lamb. No thank you. I also don’t eat veal. http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=117
“Sheep were among the first animals ever to be domesticated by humans, occurring more than 10,000 years ago. The domestication of sheep most likely started out in the Middle East, in what is now Turkey. As a source of not only food but also textiles (wool), sheep were introduced and became popular throughout many regions of the world. The Romans introduced sheep into Great Britain, where lamb remains very popular, over 2,000 years ago. Lamb was not introduced into the Western Hemisphere until the early 16th century when the armies of the Spanish explorer Hernán Cortés brought sheep with them on their explorations.
What was most prized by early civilizations was not the meat obtainable from sheep but rather their wool. In Babylonia, Sumaria, and Persia, the raising of sheep for their fleece became an important industry to such an extent that flocks of sheep were used as the medium of exchange between countries engaging in barter. In Greek mythology, fleece from sheep—known as "the gold-haired winged ram"—played a pivotal role in the myth of Jason and the Argonauts, as the quest for it related to Jason proving his worthiness of kingship to King Pelias. Since ancient times, lamb has been regarded as a religious symbol. It was commonly used as a sacrifice, and a symbol of sacrifice, in many religions including Judaism. In many countries, lamb is a traditional dish at Easter in commemoration of the Last Supper at which lamb was likely served. Jesus is often referred to as the "Lamb of God."
Lamb is a staple in cuisines throughout the world including Turkey, Greece, New Zealand, Australia, Africa, and countries of the Middle East. In the U.S., per capita consumption of lamb is much lower than in the rest of the world, averaging 14 ounces per year. By contrast, world consumption averages 4 pounds per person, African consumption averages 5.5 pounds per person, and consumption in Australia and New Zealand averages 25 pounds per person.
Lamb farming reached its peak in the U.S. in 1884 with 51 million head of sheep. Today, lamb farming involves about 6 million head. The U.S. produced about 161 million pounds of lamb and mutton in 2011 (as compared with 50 billion pounds of all red meats, including veal, beef, and pork). Australia, with 70 million head of sheep, and New Zealand, with 32 million head, export more lamb than any other countries. In 2011, for example, these two countries combined exported nearly 1.4 billion pounds of lamb. Half of all lamb consumed in the U.S. is imported, and within this category of imported lamb, nearly 68% comes from Australia and 30% from New Zealand. “
This history doesn’t mention it, but sheep were used as dairy animals before cows were. http://www.sheep101.info/dairy.html
“Sheep have been raised for milk for thousands of years and were milked before cows. The world's commercial dairy sheep industry is concentrated in Europe and the countries on or near the Mediterranean Sea. The dairy sheep industry is in its infancy in the United States. There are approximately 100 dairy sheep farms in the U.S. They are found mostly in New England and the Upper Midwest. There are several large commercial sheep dairies in New York and California.”
There are over 50 English words for sheep and 11 years ago I wrote a blog about them. http://collectingmythoughts.blogspot.com/2007/07/thursday-thirteen-13-words-for-sheep.html
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