Mutton is the meat from an older sheep (lamb is from a sheep younger than 1 year old). It is fattier than lamb has a gamey taste to it and if you don’t like the flavor of lamb overall, this might be too intense of a taste for you. The canning process essentially starts by cooking the mutton first then placing in a brine to prevent spoilage.

The salt in the brine is what makes any corned meat have a very salty taste. The pink colour also comes from the corning salt/brine solution and maintains that pink colour even after being cooked, again.