Ingredients: Spring...Lamb

A lamb is a sheep less than a year old, and is typically brought to market between the ages of six and eight months. “Spring lamb” is a traditional label indicating lamb born in the early Spring months, but given modern livestock techniques, it is now available year-round, so this mark is not necessarily of particular distinction now. Younger lamb has a milder flavor and more tender texture, so it is more palatable to those not accustomed to or fond of game meats.

The famed pré-salé lamb (literally “pre-salted”) of the salt marshes of Normandy, France is prized for its taste. There the lambs graze on the seaside marshes, which imparts a particularly subtle salty flavor to the meat that is celebrated by some gourmands. There is also a Welsh Salt Marsh variety available.

New Zealand and Australian varieties of lamb are prized for their flavor, but some prefer the taste of American lamb, which is slightly milder and less gamey. (read more)