What springs to mind when you think of lamb? A whole roast leg, studded with rosemary and garlic, perhaps? Or maybe a rich, warming curry full of spices and chilli? Lamb is a clear favourite in the UK, but in other countries it is seen as a much more exotic meat. In the US, nearly fifty percent of people have never even tasted it, while in Japan it is only usually served as part of a meal called ‘Genghis Khan’ on Hokkaido island, where cuts are barbecued in front of diners at the table.
In much of Central and South America, however, lamb is a common sight in restaurants, shops and kitchens. There are a few exceptions (the meat is a rare find in Brazil and some countries will almost always use goat instead) but in places like Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Peru and Ecuador, you’ll find it gently roasting over open fires, being slow-cooked into rich, comforting stews or stuffed inside little pastries as a roadside snack. Patagonia – the region at the southern tip of South America that straddles both Chile and Argentina – is famous for its sheep farms, where you can see horse-riding gauchos (cowboys) round up sheep throughout the vast plains of the area.
