Pricey lamb catches on as trendy health food

North Korean residents have developed a
taste for lamb meat, according to inside sources. In summers past, dog meat and
chicken soup reigned supreme as the go to health foods, but we are now getting
reports that despite its high price tag, lamb is flying off the shelves. 

In a phone conversation with Daily NK on
August 31, a source in Yanggang Province said that inside source said that
as recently as last year people were mostly eating dog meat and chicken soup,
but lately residents have begun to nourish their bodies with lamb meat instead.
Despite the prohibitive price–lamb meat is twice the price as dog meat–people
are drawn to its health benefits.    

An additional source in the same province
verified this news as did a source in South Hamgyong Province. 

He added, Now that
residents are starting to make and save some money from trading at the
jangmadang (market), they have come looking for lamb. Because dog and chicken
have come to be seen as normal foods, the pricey lamb meat has taken up the mantle
as the new health food du jour.
 

Increased availability of other foods like rabbit stew and a North Korean variety of chicken soup [dalk gom] also feature heavily in this new trend. As new
cuisines gradually infiltrate and proliferate within the country, people like
market traders, government officials, and other residents who have managed to
save up a bit, are driving demand for lamb.   

Because of this demand, the price of lamb
has risen to approximately KPW 38,000 (USD 4.6) per kg in the Hyesan area. Lamb was the best selling
meat in the market during the month of August. Even now, people are coming in
and looking to buy some lamb,
the source
asserted. 

Consequently, class divisions have become
apparent even in terms of meat selection, he said, noting,
The upper class eats lamb while the lower class eats dog. Mothers
are even known to begin setting aside money in the spring so that they can cook
the nutritious meal for their husbands and children.
 

According to Daily NKs sources, 1 kg of lamb is selling for RMB 28, or KPW 37,800 at
Yanggang Province
s Hyesan Agricultural Market. Dog
meat sells for 17,500 per kg at the same location. 

Although dog meat is cheaper, there are
families who keep dogs as pets. That might make dog soup a difficult
proposition for them to swallow. But not many houses raise lambs. There are
some who avoided lamb because of the strong odor, but now there are flavor
packets that come in from China, so even those residents have been [cooking
with those] and merrily chomping down the lamb,
the
source concluded.