Fat-tailed sheep

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The fat-tailed sheep is a category of domestic sheep that comprise approximately 25% of world sheep population (Davidson, 1999). Breeds of fat-tail sheep are commonly found in northern parts of Africa, the Middle and Near East, in particular, the Fertile Crescent, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. Varieties of fat tailed sheep can also be found in Northern India, West China and Mongolia as well.

The earliest record of this sheep variety is found in ancient Uruk (3000 BCE) and Ur (2400 BCE) on stone vessels and mosaics. Another early reference is found in the Bible (Leviticus 3:9)[1], where a sacrificial offering is described which includes the tail fat of sheep.

Sheep were specifically bred for the unique quality of the fat stored in the tail area and the fat was used extensively in medieval Arab and Persian cookery. The tail fat is still used in modern cookery, though there has been a reported decline, with other types of fat and oils having increased in popularity.