Abstract:In order to explore the difference in muscle quality in different parts and the same part of Tibetan mutton from different regions.In this study，6-month-old Tibetan sheep in Datong County，Tongren County，and Qilian County were selected as the research objects.Meat samples were collected from the neck，shoulder，front leg，front tendon，backbone，loin，chest，buttock，hip loin，silverside，genu，tenderloin，and posterior tendon.The correlation between histological characteristics and the quality of different parts was analyzed.The results showed that there were great differences in meat quality between different parts and the same part of Tibetan mutton from different regions.Shoulder meat had high protein content（29.05%），high fat content（9.24%），and good color（L*value of 39.89），but low moisture content.Meat from the front leg had the smallest muscle fiber density（785.50 N/mm2），the thickest muscle fiber diameter（52.06 μm），and high moisture content（72.43%）.Meat from the backbone had a preferable color of flesh.Buttock meat had low pH（6.18）and low fat content（1.20%）.Hip loin meat had the least shear force value（24.10 N）and pH value（6.16）.Compared with Tibetan mutton from Qilian and Tongren，Tibetan mutton from Datong had higher protein and fat content，lower cooking loss rate，and better color and texture characteristics.To sum up，meat from hip loin was the tenderest，and the meat from genu，buttock，and backbone had superior meat quality.The average cooking loss rate of Tibetan mutton was 29.74%.It was suitable for steaming and cooking.The quality of Tibetan mutton in different regions was significantly affected by altitude.The meat from the front leg，hip loin，backbone，and genu could be used to develop high-grade products.