NPR

After WWII, Mutton Fell Out Of Favor In The U.S. Can It Make A Comeback?

Once the stuff of high-end cuisine, mutton consumption tanked thanks to competition from the cattle industry and GIs fed up with rations. Fans say it's time to re-embrace this underappreciated meat.
A flock of Texel-Dorset sheep gather near a hay trough in a Hudson River Valley barn in Medusa, N.Y. Millennials and more experimental diners might be open to eating mutton.

When D'Abruzzo opened its first food kiosk in New York City's Bryant Park a few years ago, I dashed over to taste the Italian mountainous region's trademark mutton arrosticini and capture photographic proof of its existence in America, as this is not a dish often seen on our shores.

Thanks to D'Abruzzo, hundreds, maybe thousands, of Americans would be able to sample the region's savory, salted, grilled sheep-meat-on-a-stick that is cooked with passion in Abruzzo, on its own specialized grill, called la furnacell.

Moments after posting photos of D'Abruzzo's arrosticini and its menu on Facebook, responses from Abruzzese friends and family came flooding in. They were excited. Proud.

One of us — in Manhattan!

They were also uniformly thrown into a state of irascibility over one unforgivable sin.

"They use lamb, not mutton!" venomously typed my Abruzzese friend, Ugo Budani, from 4,000 miles away. "There can be

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR3 min readAmerican Government
Who Is Hope Hicks, The Former Trump Adviser Testifying In New York Criminal Trial?
Hope Hicks was a communications director for the Trump White House and prosecutors may question her on her knowledge of the deals made during his first presidential run.
NPR4 min read
'Hacks' Season 3 Is Proof That Compelling Storylines And Character Growth Take Time
Ava (Hannah Einbinder) and Deborah (Jean Smart) have both grown a lot since we first met them in Season 1. It's a reminder that shows need breathing room to achieve satisfying development.
NPR4 min read
'Dance Your Ph.D.' Winner On Science, Art, And Embracing His Identity
Weliton Menário Costa's award-winning music video showcases his research on kangaroo personality and behavior — and offers a celebration of human diversity, too.

Related Books & Audiobooks