Mountain hare lives at elevations from 700 to 3800 m, depending on biographic region and season. The mountain hare is a large species, though it is slightly smaller than the European hare. It grows to a length of , with a tail of , and a mass of , females being slightly heavier than males. In summer, for all populations of mountain hares, the coat is various shades of brown. In preparation for winter most populations moult into a white (or largely white) pelage. The tail remains completely white all year round, distinguishing the mountain hare from the European hare ("Lepus europaeus"),
Rabbit stew has been described as a "kind of national dish in Crete", Greece, and is also prepared on the Greek island of Icaria, where hares and partridges comprise the primary game meats available. Circa the early 1900s in eastern France and western Germany, hare stew was commercially-prepared and canned by various packers. Circa the early 1900s in the United States, rabbit stew was prepared using domestic or wild rabbits. Rabbit ragù is an Italian sauce and/or dish prepared using rabbit meat, tomato puree, vegetables and spices. Pasta such as pappardelle and Parmigiano-Reggiano are added to create the dish. Rabbit stew Rabbit