That's interesting to know, I wouldn't have considered whether the local lamb would be different to the texture/tenderness of Welsh or NZ lamb.

Ooh, well we certainly have a large freezer!

Great, thanks. Will check those out, haven't seen the packs in Costco, so will be more vigilant next time we visit the shop.

Heres a heads up all cows, chickens etc etc don't taste the same.

Which butchers was that (in Ottawa? )?

It was the Manotick Butcher and due to rebuild costs against the insurance, sadly, they felt they couldn't re-open.

Exactly. Depends on what they are fed and the breed. The place I buy lamb from has grass fed Nubian sheep, they don't taste rancid they was most of the lamb raised here does.

Still, what you lose here on the lamb flavour stakes/steaks you gain on the beef.

Lamb tastes differently, and the tenderness can also vary!

OH swears by Welsh Lamb, but NZ or Australian comes a close second

I prefer NZ

People in BC who eat lamb say there is nothing to beat Salt Spring Island lamb ........ that to me is dry


You will have to tell us what your lamb tastes like, whether you can tell any difference!

Actually, you must be buying a lamb that is around 9-11 months old if it is being butchered right now. Almost the NZ hogget (or hoggett).

Rancid or grassy smell is usually the result of the lamb eating grass, so what the farmer should be doing is 'jugging' or isolating the ones to be done the next day for 16 hrs or thereabouts in a pen with only water. When something goes wrong and they haven't been jugged I've found that the grassy smell is only present in the raw meat and disappears when cooked, but it still isn't desirable. The ones we had were milder in taste than imported lamb, but that could also be due to being actual spring lambs around 70lbs yielding about 35 lbs cut and wrapped. If someone has a 100 lb lamb yielding 50 lbs it may have been born in the spring but it isn't going to be the same.

It's the leeks.

I don't believe I've had any here that are not from New Zealand or Australia. The only difference I've noticed is the boneless legs are not as good.

I just hope you can find mint sauce to go with it. We had a university formal dinner last night, there was roast beef. It was very nice. There was no horseradish. I learnt that horseradish is not a common thing here. I am distraught.

(The fact it took me four years to discover this implies I'll get it over quickly, but still).

I recall talking to a Canadian born gentleman some years ago. He was sent from Canada to UK as a soldier during the war and said the only meat they encountered there was mutton, which the Canadians quickly detested. Probably on their return to Canada they brought their prejudice of sheep meat with them, passed that onto their families and offspring, contributing perhaps to the absence of the product on Canadian shelves.

I've not found that at all, you can buy horseradish in most stores and it's commonly served with steak / beef at many restaurants.

Mint sauce is also available (as is mint jelly) at Loblaws, Walmart etc., or you can make your own very simply, (that used to be my job when I was a nipper, lol). with mint, sugar and malt vinegar. One of these is very helpful for mincing the mint (it's what I used)! https://www.amazon.ca/Stainless-Stee.../dp/B0001IWYCS

It's certainly sold but none of my Canadian family like it. However they were always a bit unadventurous. I managed to get my stepdaughter into wholegrain Dijon.

To me, though, Creamy Horseradish is the tops. Fantastic stuff.

They're not telling you the truth!!!

Mint Sauce, mint jelly and horseradish have always been available in Canada!!

We always have mint sauce and mint jelly in the fridge ......... at the moment it is President's Choice Mint Sauce and E. D. Smith's Mint Jelly.

Similarly horseradish ...... Woodman's Original Creamed Horseradush and Woodman's Extra Hot Creamed Horseradish.

Get the Extra Hot ... it's really quite mild!!!


All have been available since we moved here nearly 50 years ago in our local Safeway, even the President's Choice!

Sobeys may be making changes though, as they like you to buy what they want to sell ......... E D Smith's Mint Jelly has replaced the brand that we used to buy.


I'm not sure where you are, but chefs here would not dream of serving beef without horseradish ........ often made by themselves.

They even serve it with the prime rib of beef on VIA's The Canadian