Five reasons why I stopped eating lamb (after visiting Scotland)

I’d like to think myself as an adventurous eater – someone who is open to various types of cuisines and food types. But after coming into close contact with a few bleating lambs during my recent trip to Scotland, I found myself unable to stomach the fact that the demand which stemmed from me had caused these young, innocent, cute creatures to be slaughtered. To cement my pledge to the lambs of Scotland, I thought it would be useful to share the five reasons why I have stopped eating lamb.

1. Lambs are less than a year old before they are slaughtered

According to BBC Good Food, young lamb is slaughtered anytime between 6 and 8 weeks, or when it is 3 -5 months old. That’s pretty young if you think about it. 🙁

2. Lamb is not a must-have in my diet

I’m a big seafood fan, and I’ll have to eat some kind of fish or seafood at least once a week. Oysters and beef are luxuries which I hope to savour at least once a month. But I can live life quite peacefully without lamb. It’s not meat that I would actively seek out. I see it more as an ingredient for an exotic dish for instance, such as Lebanese Kibbeh (a delicious fried meatball-like piece).

3. What lamb can do, beef can do better

Lamb-lovers would disagree but I think that the delicate meaty flavour found in lamb can be replicated in a lean cut of beef – the filet mignon for instance. There is definitely a difference but I don’t think it’s drastic. The part about beef doing better than lamb is purely a personal preference. My palate prefers the beefy flavour of a medium-rare filet mignon, opened up by a glass of pinot noir. A lamb rack feels a tad raw, like unchartered territory.

4. Lambs have a strong visual stimuli – they are super cute

Okay, I’ve to admit. The small, cute, playful lambs have touched my heart and mind. This results in a huge sense of guilt should I choose to consume their delicate flesh. The thought of seasoning these cute, cuddly lambs with pepper, rosemary and sea salt, and roasting them over a grill pan makes me brim with remorse and regret.

5. I have thrown parity out the window. I still eat foie gras.

I know that other unfortunate things have been done to animals, such as the goose but I do enjoy that occasional foie gras terrine, served with a slice of toasted bread. Soon, I suppose someone is going to tell me that cows should be subjected to the same approach as how I have dealt with lambs. The debate goes on. I hesitate to share my views on shark fin, but I think in terms of food choices, it’s not really about parity but a personal ethical preference. To each his own.

The Travelling Squid’s Take

For the lamb eaters out there, I’m not encouraging you to stop eating lamb. Objectively, I can see that it is quite delicious, as seen from a recent meal at Petrus in London. That said, I’m happy to share that I have been lamb-free since May 2017, and until now, have no desire to consume this playful, cute, cuddly animal. Trust me, you may feel the same if you were to come up close and personal with some lambs. I urge lamb-eaters to stay away from Quiraing in the Isle of Skye, as they could be plagued with guilt for the rest of lives after the visit, each time they consume a rack.