Eid Al Adha is an occasion for spending time with family, appreciating loved ones, and bonding over delicious food. However, if you are the one responsible for preparing the spread for your family’s upcoming Eid gathering, you might be feeling a bit of pressure to make sure it is a huge success, and choose only the most delicious products and recipes that all your family will love.
After all, while mutton and lamb are the obvious choices for any Eid celebration, there is still some confusion over which is the ‘better’ kind of meat, and the best choice for your Eid get together. In this blog, we take a deep dive into the mutton vs lamb debate, and lay out some of the key differences between them.
What is the difference between lamb and mutton?
Lamb and mutton are both types of sheep product, and the main difference between the two is the age of the animal that each cut is taken from.
Lamb products are derived from sheep that are generally aged between six months and one years old, while animals used for mutton are older. The age of the animals and their feed and raising conditions causes lamb and mutton cuts to differ significantly in terms of taste, texture and nutritional content.
Taste and texture
Lamb meat is famous for its soft and juicy texture and mild, slightly sweet flavour. Often described as ‘falling off the bone’, lamb meat is so tender it can sometimes detach from the bone without the need to cut it with a knife. Meanwhile, mutton is less tender than lamb. Older sheep have had longer for their muscles to develop, and their meat therefore has a higher fat content.
Cost and uses
Typically speaking, a carcass of mutton has more meat on it than a lamb carcass, and it therefore tends to be cheaper to buy. Lamb is also considered to be more of a delicacy than mutton, and it plays a central part in the cuisine of many different cultures, including here in the Middle East, and as far as Europe and the Mediterranean.
Some delicious lamb dishes that are easy to make at home include Moroccan lamb tagine, Greek Kleftiko (lamb and potatoes), lamb kebabs, lamb chops, lamb stews and, of course, every family’s Eid favourite, fragrant and heartwarming lamb biryani.
Choosing your Eid lamb cuts
In conclusion, while both ingredients offer benefits, we at Prime Gourmet strongly believe that lamb is the better option for your Eid celebrations. Incredibly tender, flavoursome and filled with goodness, it’s a guaranteed crowd pleaser that all your family and friends are sure to love.
In fact, as our gift for you, we are currently offering an exclusive 10% discount on some of our best selling lamb products until the end of Eid Al Adha. Applicable on our sumptuous lamb shoulders (bone in and boneless), lamb legs (bone in and boneless), lamb loin and lamb shank, all our premium lamb products are brimming with vitamins and goodness, making them the perfect choice for you and your family.
Sourced from Silver Fern Farms, New Zealand’s leading expert in premium grass-fed and other reputable suppliers, all our lamb products are 100% halal and ethically raised. Plus, if you don’t have the time to cook yourself, we can also deliver pre-cooked lamb shoulders and lamb legs, all skillfully seasoned, roasted and prepared by our expert team.
Meanwhile, our lamb cubes (taken from the best parts of the animal) are ideal for throwing into stews, pies, curries, and rice dishes. Or, if you’re in the mood to throw a fun-filled Eid BBQ, our grass-fed lamb skewers, lamb cutlets and authentic lamb and beef Persian kebabs are sure to impress every family member, while our Wanaka lamb burger boxes provide everything you need to make incredible homemade burgers in one expertly prepared package. Explore our full range of lamb products perfect for biryani, grills, stews, and more - crafted to make your Eid dishes truly unforgettable