Lamb's rich, earthy flavor rarely disappoints — unless it ends up tasting a little too earthy. Though it's not classified as a type of game meat, its grass diet gives the meat that strong, unique flavor lamb is known for. To learn how to pick the best lamb, we caught up with Andrew Zimmern as he prepared for the South Beach Wine & Food Festival's Asian Night Market, FoodieCon, and an American Airlines Dinner with Diego Oka.

According to Zimmern, finding out the lamb's age is the best way to make sure it's going to taste fresh rather than gamey. "Older animals of poorer quality taste or smell 'barnyardy,'" he explained. "Lamb is best at [one to six] months of age, but acceptable up to [nine] months," he added. Technically, there's a cutoff age for what's considered a lamb, and finding a farm or butcher that adheres to those standards is your best bet.

"For a year or more, it is mutton and not to everyone's liking," said Zimmern of the animal's age. The fat in sheep contains bacteria-derived acids that are produced from its stomach and stored in the muscles, giving it that distinct gamey flavor. As the sheep gets older, it has more time to build up the fat in its muscles, which leads to a more intense taste.

To avoid lamb that has a gamey taste, the celebrity chef recommended buying it at certain periods of the year. "In the spring in many European countries, month-old lamb is available in butcher shops, and I adore it," noted Zimmern. "You can also arrange to buy young animals from local farms, as well." Most lambs tend to be born in the spring, so getting one during that period is the best choice. In the U.S., lambs tend to be butchered at six to eight months of age, so arranging to buy meat in autumn is suitable.