Sheepmeat odour and flavour

Sheepmeat (the flesh of Ovis aries) is eaten by millions of people all over the world and is probably eaten in every country to some extent. There are no religious or cultural taboos on eating sheepmeat, which contrasts sharply with the taboos that apply to beef (Hindu) and pork (Moslem, Jewish). Nevertheless, many people avoid sheepmeat because they object to its odour (especially during cooking) and/or its flavour. The Chinese even have a special word for the disagreeable cooking odour of sheepmeat, ‘soo’, meaning sweaty, sour (Wong, 1975). Even in those Western countries that have a greater acceptance of sheepmeat, many dislike it, particularly the meat from mature animals with its apparently stronger odour and flavour. Also, the relatively high melting point of sheep fat contributes to a ‘waxy’ mouthfeel that is unacceptable to many. On a cool plate the fat tends to harden rapidly, which contrasts with the more oily character of, say, pork fat.