Testicles as food


The testicles of calves, lambs, roosters, turkeys, and other animals are eaten in many parts of the world, often under euphemistic culinary names. Testicles are a by-product of the castration of young animals raised for meat, so they were probably a late-spring seasonal specialty, though nowadays they are generally frozen and available year-round.

Cookery

Testicles are cooked in a variety of ways: sautéed and sauced, fricasseed, deep-fried with breading or batter, in pies, poached, roasted, and so on. Before cooking, they are generally scalded, skinned, and soaked in cold water.

Names

In English, testicles are known by a wide variety of euphemisms, including "stones", "Rocky Mountain oysters", "prairie oysters" and sweetbread. Lamb testicles are often called 'lamb fries' or simply fries.
Euphemisms are used in many other languages. In Arabic countries such as Lebanon and Syria or Iraq they are known as "baid ghanam" and in Turkey they are known as koç yumurtası which in both languages means sheep eggs.
In some Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America, they are known as huevos de toro, "bull eggs"; in Chinese, as Simplified Chinese: 牛宝; Traditional Chinese: 牛寶; Pinyin: niú bǎo, "ox treasures"; in Greek, as αμελέτητα, "unmentionables"; in Hindi, as "Kapura".
The French animelles, the Italian granelli, and the Spanish and Latin American criadillas began as euphemisms, but have become standard culinary names.

World variants

Canada

Known as 'prairie oysters' in Canada, they are normally served deep-fried and breaded, with a demi-glace.
The dish is especially popular in parts of Canada, where cattle ranching is prevalent and castration of young male animals is common.

Syria

In Syria baid ghanam or sheep testicles are grilled in lemon juice and garnished in parsley.

India and Pakistan

In India and Pakistan, goat testicles and kidneys are mashed up and cooked on a Tava. The dish is called Gurda-Kapoora. In Lahore, the dish is called Kata-kat.

United States

In the United States, bull testicles are usually served breaded and deep-fried as an appetizer, under the name "Rocky Mountain oysters".

Spain

Buffalo, boar or bulls testicles known as criadillas are breaded and fried; In tortilla Sacromonte, a speciality from Granada, lambs brains and testicles are cooked in an omelette.

Vietnam

Bulls testicles is commonly called "Ngầu pín". It is a very common food as it is believed to increase men's sexual ability.