
Japan Times: Lamb increasingly popular despite 'stinky' repute
With mad cow disease and the bird flu still making some people anxious about the safety of beef and poultry, an increasing number of Tokyo residents are turning to mutton and lamb. The number of restaurants serving lamb has grown since last year, said Fumiaki Shimono, 43, operator of Tokyo Jingisukan (mutton barbecue) Club, a Web site he created five years ago for lovers of lamb...Mutton and lamb have not been part of most regular diets in Japan. However, it is a popular meal in Hokkaido, home to numerous sheep farms. The key factor behind mutton's unpopularity is its odor. The smell of cooked lamb is weaker than that of mutton, experts figure...Women who are interested in their diet and looking for healthy food are drawn to lamb and mutton. A certain type of amino acid that can dissolve fat is found in greater quantity in lamb and mutton than in beef or pork, the experts say.