Why Don't Americans Eat Lamb?

Have you heard of a restaurant called Cava? It’s a fast-casual place that serves Mediterranean food. There’s a lot of restaurants with the same concept but Cava seems to be receiving a lot of attention. This year it’s acting like a tech stock instead of a regular restaurant. It’s already gained 30% on the year.

You probably haven’t come across it. It's a bit under the radar, currently only in 20 states and with just over 200 locations. It doesn't have the widespread presence of big names like Chipotle or McDonalds. I stumbled upon it by chance when I moved to Washington DC for work ten years ago, right where they opened their first spot. On the hunt for a new lunch place and growing tired of the usual places, I gave Cava a shot. "This is surprisingly good," I thought. And just like that, I was hooked. That’s usually the reaction to it when people first try it.

So, when Cava went public last year, I threw some cash into its stock. Eyeing Chipotle's current stock price hovering around $2,600, it got me thinking: “could Cava be the next big thing, edging out Chipotle someday?”

Now, don't get me wrong—I'm hardly the stock guy. My usual move? is parking my cash in ETFs and waiting for it compound over years.

What’s the Appeal?

Just because it tastes good doesn’t mean it will succeed. America is the land of fast food. That’s true. But I think Cava has something other fast food restaurants do not.

Economics 101 introduces us to the "wide economic moat" concept. Picture this as the superpower a business has, giving it the upper hand over competitors, a way to rake in more profits and solidify its market throne. If a company's rolling out game-changing products, locking down patents, wielding cutting-edge tech, and sporting a standout brand, then it's got this wide moat keeping the competition at a distance, ensuring its reign for years to come.

What is Cava’s moat? I think it’s the lamb. It’s the only fast-casual place that pushes lamb to its customers. It serves two kinds of lamb. Brisket and lamb meatballs. It’s high quality lamb.

That’s the moat. It’s a place serving tasty lamb.

In a weird quirk of history, Americans never ate lamb regularly. But everyone else around the world eats lamb.

Instead of creating a new type of food (Doritos), maybe we can reintroduce a food that everyone eats except for Americans and have it be successful.

In This Newsletter

1) Why Does Most of the World Eat Lamb Except for Americans?

2) Top 5 Lamb Recipes

3) What Other Food Could We Reintroduce in the Future?

Why Don’t Americans Eat Lamb?

Vox recently wrote about how Americans eat a lot of protein. Odd article. It doesn't quite prove that overshooting government protein recommendations is a bad move. Seems like the writer's playing a different angle, leaning heavily into animal welfare (which, okay, fair) and climate concerns, but kinda sidestepping into the main argument. Yet, buried beneath all that is a fascinating nugget: Americans top the global charts in protein consumption.

When you look at charts for protein. There is always one meat that is left out. You never see lamb on any of them.

If you’re an American reading this you probably didn’t grow up eating lamb regularly. Maybe lamb chops every once in awhile or restaurant dish. But it wasn’t part of your regular diet. It’s not weird to you but it is weird. Eating lamb or mutton is very normal everywhere around the world. Take the brits for example, they grew up with lamb, a traditional Sunday roast lamb was a staple with mint sauce.

The same thing with Australians, Middle Easterners, Mediterraneans, Balkaners and South Asians as well. But not America.

What Happened to Eating Lamb in America?

Believe it or not, lamb used to be a common staple of the the American diet back in colonial days, both lamb and mutton (sheep meat) were pretty standard fare, similar to Europe. Fast forward to now, and lamb's turned into a luxury item—if you even manage to find it. Your average supermarket might not have it unless it's a fancier spot or boasts a butcher's counter. Otherwise, you're probably enjoying it at a Mediterranean or Middle Eastern spot.

But what’s weird is that lamb is cheaper than beef in places like United Kingdom, New Zealand and other countries. For some reason it’s the reverse in America. It turns out this was a policy choice over a century ago that caused this.

1) Government has always subsidized beef over sheep.

The beef industry has always had a strong lobby in the United States. That’s not just today, that’s been the case for hundreds of years. Have you heard of the Sheep Wars? It’s this forgotten period in American history that isn’t discussed much anymore.

Long story short, in the 19th century the beef industry was more established and when sheepherders started encroaching on open range the cattlemen viewed as "theirs", it sparked legislation and violence keeping the sheep industry hobbled. Tensions between shepherds and cattle men escalated from court room battles (which favoured land-owning cattle ranchers who maintained strong ties with government officials and authorities) to armed conflicts called the Sheep Wars. Basically, shepherds wanted free grazing rights, whereas cattle men benefited from private land ownership coupled with feedlot production. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheep_Wars.

But the story doesn’t end there.

1. Commodity Programs and Price Supports: The U.S. government's involvement in agricultural subsidies began in earnest during the 1930s as part of the New Deal programs. These programs were designed to stabilize prices, control supply, and provide financial support to farmers growing certain commodities, including corn and soybeans, which are primary feed ingredients for cattle. Although these policies indirectly supported beef production by making feed cheaper, similar direct supports were not as robustly extended to sheep farming.

2. Federal Grazing Policies: The Taylor Grazing Act of 1934 was another policy that had a significant impact on livestock farming. While it regulated grazing on public lands to prevent overuse, the implementation often favored cattle ranchers over sheep farmers in terms of access to prime grazing land. This act, and the subsequent formation of grazing districts, sometimes made it more challenging for sheep farmers to access the resources needed for their livestock.

3. Insurance and Loan Programs: Federal crop insurance programs and farm loans have been more accessible for crops and livestock directly supported by government policies. Since beef production benefits from subsidies for feed crops and has a larger market presence, cattle ranchers have generally had better access to these financial supports than sheep farmers.

This discrepancy in support has contributed to the differences in scale, efficiency, and market presence between the beef and sheep industries in the United States. Eventually, a feedback loop occurs. the high price of lamb discourages Americans from eating it regularly and there is no lobbying group to try to match subsidies.

2) Lamb Has a High Taste Variance

Another factor in why lamb isn't as popular in the U.S. comes down to its flavor variability. Personally, I find that aspect appealing; the taste can vary, offering a unique experience each time. It's interesting. However, the majority of Americans prefer their meat with predictable flavors. They want the assurance that what they eat will taste the same every time, something lamb doesn’t consistently deliver.

Take, for example, lamb from New Zealand, which grazes on lush pastures and typically carries a mild, almost herbaceous taste. This contrasts sharply with the bold, gamey flavors of lamb from the rugged mountains of some European countries.

When you pit New Zealand lamb against those from places with stronger flavors, like the Mediterranean or Middle East, where lambs feast on aromatic herbs and navigate harsher terrains, you really see how terroir influences meat production. The result? Lamb with a more pronounced gamey taste that directly mirrors their diet and environment.

Top 5 Lamb Recipes

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