Mutton, or lamb, stew is a traditional and beloved component of the Navajo diet. Mutton stew consists of mutton simmered in a simple broth that may contain a variety of vegetables, especially green chile, squash, and hominy, and is often accompanied by fry bread, a form of unleavened bread that became a staple of the Navajo diet during their forced Long Walk and internment at Bosque Redondo during the 1860s. Sheep were introduced into the Americas by the Spanish in the sixteenth century, along with horses and cattle. During this time, the Navajo traded and raided for sheep from the Spanish. Sheep became a major part of their economy as well as their diet.
