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Heritage Breeds · 12
Lamb
Mountain and meadow sheep — Herdwick, Merino, Dorper and salt-marsh breeds.

Eifel mountains, Germany
Eifel Original Lamb
Heritage Heidschnucke-related breed, slow-grown on mountain herbs · Mild gamey flavor with herbal aromatic notes

Mont-Saint-Michel Bay, Normandy & Brittany, France
Pré-salé Lamb (Salt-Marsh)
Lambs graze halophyte plants (sea aster, sea fennel) on tidal salt marshes · Naturally seasoned meat with delicate iodine note and herbal sweetness

Wales, United Kingdom (PGI protected)
Welsh Mountain Lamb (PGI)
Hardy small frame, raised free-range on mountain heather · Sweet, herbaceous flavor with fine fat cover

South Africa; developed in the 1930s by crossing Dorset Horn and Blackheaded Persian sheep
Dorper
Distinctive black head and white body with a naturally shedding fleece · Fast-maturing breed with exceptional feed conversion efficiency

Spain (Extremadura region); exported to Australia in the late 18th century where it became the dominant breed
Merino
Ultra-fine, soft wool and delicate, finely textured pale meat · Lean, mild lamb with a clean, subtle flavor preferred by gourmet chefs

Suffolk, England; developed in the late 18th century by crossing Southdown rams with Norfolk Horned ewes
Suffolk
Distinctive black face and legs with a white body — the breed's iconic appearance · Excellent muscle development producing consistently well-fleshed, full-flavored lamb

Texel Island, Netherlands; refined from local Dutch sheep in the 19th century with Lincoln and Leicester blood
Texel
Exceptionally high lean muscle yield — one of the most muscled sheep breeds in the world · Distinctive white face with a black nose; compact, heavily muscled frame

Romney Marsh, Kent, England; one of England's oldest native breeds, adapted to wet coastal marshes
Romney
Medium-sized dual-purpose breed historically raised for both wool and meat · Well-flavored, moderately lean lamb with a slightly sweet, grassy character

Lake District, Cumbria, England; believed to be one of the oldest native British breeds, with Norse Viking roots
Herdwick
Exceptionally strong, complex, gamey flavor from wild fell grazing — the most intensely flavored British lamb · Dark, richly colored meat from highland mineral-rich terrain and wild vegetation

Iceland; descended from Norse sheep brought by Viking settlers around 874 AD — one of the world's oldest and purest breeds
Icelandic Sheep
Genetically pure Viking-era breed with over 1,000 years of isolated island breeding · Lean, tender, mild lamb with a delicate clean flavor from Arctic volcanic grassland

Central Asia (Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Iran); one of the world's oldest breeds with 5,000+ years of history
Karakul
One of the oldest domesticated sheep breeds in the world with ancient Silk Road heritage · Rich, robustly flavored lamb with intense mineral depth from arid desert grazing

American Southwest (Navajo Nation, New Mexico, Arizona); descended from Spanish Churra sheep brought to the Americas in the 16th century
Navajo-Churro
Lean, distinctively flavored lamb with a rich, slightly gamey depth from desert sage and scrub grazing · Hardy, multi-purpose breed sacred to Navajo culture — fiber, meat, and spiritual significance