The History of the Vegetable Lamb of Tartare

Tartare is the European name for a vast stretch of Asia that was north of the then borders of China, India, and Persia. It's not being very specific at all to say that something is in Tartare, which is actually great because if you want to get away with weaving a tall tale for a European audience, this is an excellent place to set it. A 19th century English naturalist named Henry Lee wrote about the vegetable lamb of Tartare published in 1887. He seems to me to be a very early model of the skeptical cryptozoologist.