The Easter Lamb

Today was Easter Sunday and we had a family get together for lunch, me, husband and both sons. In this case I decided that a leg of lamb (known as “lammgigot” here in Switzerland) would be appropriate. I quite like lamb myself, although generally in Switzerland it is eaten more as a “speciality” once or twice a year. Switzerland is not a country for breeding sheep and the Spring lambs seen in Switzerland are few and far between and raised more as a speciality than as custom. The Swiss are not really a sheep-eating nation.

I grew up in London with lamb once or twice a week (mutton was looked down upon by my mum – lamb was bought and eaten). At home we now and again had lambs hearts, lambs liver and lamb chops. A leg of lamb was often served for Sunday roast. It did not really bother me as a child. Although the British Isles is known for sheep farming, quite a lot of the lamb eaten comes from New Zealand.

New Zealand has vast herds of sheep and probably the main meat produce of the country. The lambs are raised, killed, the meat frozen and shipped all over the world. Our local supermarket also has frozen New Zealand lamb and very good quality. I am not a vegetarian, and probably because of the anonymous handling of New Zealand lamb I don’t really have a bad conscience about buying and cooking it.

This year was somewhat different. I have got to appreciate animals over the years and when large quantities are bred and used for food I don’t really have a problem. When I went to the local supermarket last week to buy a frozen leg of New Zealand lamb for Easter I found they had none. I asked at the meat section whether they would be getting some and was told they had some wonderful Swiss lamb and all I have to do is to say if I want the leg with or without bone. As I had the family to dinner and they were looking forward to the traditional leg of lamb (roast with rosemary and garlic à la mum) I didn’t want to disappoint them. I took my 2 Kilogram lamb’s leg home (with bone) and told myself that it was just meat really.

I can have visions of thousands of New Zealand lambs on pastures being prepared to export to the world, and living their short lives perhaps 6-8 months ago which due to the anonymity didn’t really bother me. My Swiss leg of lamb gave me visions of a sweet little lamb living its life somewhere on the fields of a Swiss farm 2 or 3 weeks ago until it was decided that Mrs. and Mrs. Swiss would have their once or twice a year pleasure and serve freshly roasted Swiss lamb for Easter Sunday and the life of this lamb would be shortened.

Basically whether the lamb is Swiss or a New Zealander it shouldn’t make a difference – tomorrow we will have a ham for dinner.