“no mezclar churras con merinas” - how sheep and some sound Spanish advice can save the economy

Picture the scene; we're in Castilla, Spain, it's hot, it's the twelfth century B.C.  A Spanish shepherd, tending to his flock of churras, is suddenly hit with a dizziness, and he sits down for a moment to wipe the perspiration from his brow.  On looking up, he realises that there is something wrong with one of his sheep.  He can't believe it, surely his eyes must be deceiving him, so he blinks and looks once more.  No, it is true.   One of his sheep no longer has the black colouring and bald head of the churra that he has been so used to seeing for so long.  This sheep is pure and white, smaller than the rest, with a curly thick coat.  He jumps to his feet as if he were twenty years younger and dashes down the hill to investigate.  It is indeed true! The sheep standing in the middle of the flock is different from the rest.  As the shepherd sinks his palm into the dense coat of his new find, he is overcome with the thickness and sumptuousness of the wool, and quickly decides to separate this animal from the rest of the flock.  Taking the little sheep to the top of the hill, he racks his brains with what to call the creature.  The name "churra", which derives from the term "filth" does not seem fitting for an animal of such beauty, and yet he cannot decide upon a name.  The cool breeze of the evening comes upon him and he settles down to rest, still pondering.  As he falls into a fitful sleep, the merino mayores, the Mayor of his region suddenly appears to him in a distorted vision, instructing him in a booming voice to take care of the sheep, preventing him from mixing with the peasant-like churras.  The shepherd sits up in a cold sweat.  He's got it! The sheep will be called the 'Merino'.

This story of course is completely fictitious, however it does give you a sense of the history behind the Merino.    Introduced to Spain in the twelfth century by the Beni-Merines, an Arabic tribe, the Merino was soon recognised as having extremely fine wool, and came to be the prize flocks of nobility and royals.  The breeding of the Merino was strictly monitored, with their coats being woven into the finest garments, and used as a sign of luxury and privilege.  It soon became apparent that Merino wool was as highly sought after, yet the Spanish kept their grip on the breed, making transporting the sheep to another country an offence that that could warrant a death penalty until the eighteenth century.  The popular Spanish idiom "no mezclar churras con merinas" or "don't mix the churras and the merinas" along with their strict trading laws could have been a goldmine for the Spanish economy had it continued, yet  in 1765, King Ferdinand VI decided to gift a flock of his prize Merinos to Prince Zavier the Elector of Saxony in Germany, and so these rare and refined breed began to advance around the globe.  

From North America to Australia and on to New Zealand, the Merino population is now at it's height at the opposite side of the world.  The softness and and quality of the wool is still recognised and continues to be highly desirable.  Of course, by now, we have several different strands of the Merino breed, yet this has not diminished the calibre of it's produce.  While the churro lamb continues to be a favourite on menus throughout Spain, and churro milk makes cheeses of superior quality, the Merinos will continue to be famed for their durable and luxurious wool for years to come!

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