Cooking and Eating Animal Genitals

[liuzhou]

I knew you'd open this topic!

 

Several years ago, in a failed attempt to gross me out, on my birthday, some English friends here in China presented me with a Tupperware-type box of uncooked water buffalo cow's vaginal labia. Thanks guys. They are not generally available in markets and I've never seen them in supermarkets, that I know of, Those friends, now long gone, had to recruit an interpretor to specially order them.

Later that day, I passed them on to a friend's mother who was delighted and rushed off to the kitchen to fry them up.

What is regularly available are these:

 

 

Euphemistically described at Ox Treasures (牛宝 niú bǎo), they are the testicles of ox calves. Available in all my local supermarkets. I understand that such delights are also available in the USA and Canada as "prairie oysters", "mountain oysters" etc.

Alongside the testicles, where they belong, are these:

 

 

Again we get a euphemism. Ox whip (牛鞭 niú biān) is, of course, the same creature's penis. Often used in soups. It is considered to be a sort of natural Viagra and so an aid to virility. Chinese medical thinking is sometimes ridiculously literal. Penis not functioning? Eat some penis!

 

Here is part of the menu for a local 5-star hotel restaurant.

 

It's rather an old picture. The soup probably costs at least double that now. I haven't been in a while.

Pig pizzle is also sometimes available in markets, but most highly prized is deer dick. Surprising given that they seldom eat venison. There are even people selling fake, dried deer appendages. There is at least one penis restaurant in Beijing. I've never been.

I have eaten "cow cod soup" in Jamaica, though. Ridiculous name. Cows don't have "cods",  another name for penises. (Think codpiece.)

Anyway, we also get rooster testicles. I've only ever seen them in markets. Never in supermarkets. Never eaten them.

 

 

Anyway, all good nose-to-tail stuff!

I'd be interested to know if you have any favourite genitalia recipes. Have you eaten any? Would you if offered?

 

 

Edited February 4 by liuzhou
Final (I hope) adjustment to title. (log)

[Dejah]

ACK! How the heck would these rooster's testicles be harvested?!

 

Edited February 1, 2017 by Dejah (log)

[gfweb]

 Henry the Airedale, is addicted to "bully sticks" which are grass fed, humanely raised, dried and cured bull shlongs. He'll chew through a bull's manhood in a few hours.

 

It gives me pause.

[liuzhou]

58 minutes ago, Dejah said:

ACK! How the heck would these rooster's testicles be harvested?!

 

Gently, I hope!

[Dave W]

I thought this was the name of a new cookbook, perhaps Calabrian?

[Thanks for the Crepes]

4 hours ago, Dejah said:

ACK! How the heck would these rooster's testicles be harvested?!

 

 

 

For capons. You can sometimes learn way more than you want to know around a farm.

 

3 hours ago, Dave W said:

I thought this was the name of a new cookbook, perhaps Calabrian?

 

I thought @liuzhou was trying to get kicked off eG.   Okay, I didn't know what I thought, but you're right; I did open it thinking it was maybe a spammer or some new restaurant.

[Thanks for the Crepes]

Seriously though, this is how it is done, when it is done physically instead of hormonally. Ouch!

 

Here are images of tools used, not necessarily for poultry, but you get the idea. Sadly, when large herds are done, no anesthetic is used and this is a common practice. Same goes for notching of the ears of cattle and pigs for ownership identity. To add insult to injury, these two operations are usually done at one go. I don't know if this ear notching is more humane than branding with a hot iron because I've never seen that done except on TV and film. Antibiotics are used topically, and I have never seen an infection, although I'm certain they occur occasionally. You did ask. PETA would have a field day. 

 

The book and horror movie "Silence of the Lambs" title is derived from the screaming of the lambs being castrated. They probably notched the ears too, but there's no mention of it.

 

And no, I'm not interested in this particular form of offal, because I have heard the screams and squawks that get it to your plate. That was always the saddest day on the farm for me, and I don't care how good it is, it's just not worth it. That said, I'd eat it if I was starving, and that is probably how the custom began.

[IowaDee]

When we raised sheep, castrating was different.  Little green rubber things that looked like Cherrios, were stretched by a special tool.  The buck's "parts" were placed within the expanded Cherrios  Tool released the thing  and it began to squeeze.  At this point my husband began to squirm  Between  the squeezing and the squirming, it was a grand old time on the farm.  Within just a few minutes, the pain had stopped and the "parts" were numb.  From there on out, it was just a matter of time before stuff shriveled and dropped off.  Keeping this food related, old time farmers like to brag about how they just bit them off and had "the little lady fry 'um  up."  We also used the same method to dock the lambs.  Kids used to find the shed tails and throw them at each other.  TMI?

[Tri2Cook]

I know I'm supposed to be an adult but I have to admit it took a bit of effort and reminding myself I'd just be making more work for the mods to convince myself to keep any sordid or seedy comments to myself.

But to answer the question, I have never eaten animal genitalia and probably would not if I knew that's what I was being served. I'd like to give a good reason why not but I don't have one. Some ideas just don't appeal to me with no logical explanation available to give. I've never eaten brains. I've heard people say they're good and I'll take their word for it but... no thanks. If somebody offered me bunghole broth or Kentucky fried sphincter, I would politely decline. I have no interest in experiencing "mountain oysters" either. I'm not saying there could never be a situation where I'd be hungry enough to eat whatever was available to eat but until such time, I'll continue to pick and choose what sounds appetizing to me.

[Thanks for the Crepes]

28 minutes ago, IowaDee said:

Little green rubber things that looked like Cherrios, were stretched by a special tool.  The buck's "parts" were placed within the expanded Cherrios  Tool released the thing  and it began to squeeze.

 

Please avert your eyes, gentlemen.

 

That is the ligation method referred to in the link I posted. It is not without risks either, and IMO just prolongs the suffering, but it does cut down on the screaming some. That makes it easier on us human perpetrators. It's a gross practice that used to be done to humans too, and sometimes still is with hormones for sex offenders here. Yes, probably TMI.

[scubadoo97]

@Thanks for the Crepes  many years ago I spent a few weeks with a friend in Fort Collins Colorado.  One day we both helped a rancher friend make steers.  Surgical tool was a pocket knife.  

[liuzhou]

I don't think these testicles come from castrated live animals. Rather they come from animals which have already been slaughtered - male cattle which are surplus to the requirements of the dairy industry,

Not 100% sure, though.

Edited February 1, 2017 by liuzhou (log)

[Shelby]

We used to drive several towns over to eat at a bar specifically for their mountain oysters.  I think they had both sheep and bull.  They knew how to cook 'em right.  Very tender.

[TicTac]

This title is what is often referred to as 'Click Bait'

 

Testicles are very popular in many parts of the world.  My grandmother who originally hails from Vienna, but grew up and raised a family in Israel, often regales me of the tales of her enjoying 'Turkey balls' on a skewer in the streets of Tel-Aviv.

 

Like Sweet Breads, if one can get past the idea, they are often delicious (though I have not tried, and quite frankly have no interest in trying a cow's vagina - sorry!).

[jmacnaughtan]

I was served lamb's testicles in a restaurant run by a friend.  He gets whole animals in, and it was part of a carte blanche dinner.

 

They were delicious - breadcrumbed, fried and served with a satay type sauce.

 

I'm not sure if  I could prepare them at home, though.  The idea of having a pair on the chopping board doesn't do it for me.  And that's without going into how I'd have to present them to my other half.

[kayb]

"Rooster dainties" used to be a common menu item in restaurants across Arkansas. Can't say I've ever tried them, or mountain oysters, either, but I'm certainly famliar with them. Can't say that I ever recall bull or any other male animal's penis being served, though. In general, I tend to lump all that with organ meats and other offal, which I don't tend to eat (though I did have sweetbreads at a restaurant once, and enjoyed them). 

 

Sort of like chitterlings, or tripe. I accept that they're a prized and well-loved food group for many. Those folks are welcome to my share of them.

 

[TicTac]

lol @kayb

 

I too have tried tripe and cannot get past a) the texture b) the slight 'off' flavour.

 

sweetbreads - I will never tire of, oh how I love thee!

 

 

[MelissaH]

I saw this article in a hard copy of a Lucky Peach magazine last year (I think).

[blue_dolphin]

59 minutes ago, MelissaH said:

I saw this article in a hard copy of a Lucky Peach magazine last year (I think).

 

  Funniest food writing award winner for sure!

[MetsFan5]

15 hours ago, gfweb said:

 Henry the Airedale, is addicted to "bully sticks" which are grass fed, humanely raised, dried and cured bull shlongs. He'll chew through a bull's manhood in a few hours.

 

It gives me pause.

 

 

  My golden retriever Loves them too. But she can demolish one in about a half hour. 

[chefmd]

When I was little, my grandmother cooked cow udder.  Protein was hard to come by in the socialist Soviet Union.  Everyone was equal and poor.  Udder was yellowish in color, chewy, a cross between tofu and beef tendon in texture.  It had strong but not unpleasant aroma.  I hope memory serves me well.  May be I was just hungry but I recall eating it with pleasure and so did the rest of our family.  I knew exactly what it was and it did not gross me out. 

 

Generally, I will try any food as long as it is safe.

[teonzo]

Here in Italy eating genitalia and related stuff was traditional up to the 50's, when most people were still farmers and definetely poor, so they ended up eating anything edible. Eating meat, even genitalia, was a luxury. Cow udders and vaginal labias were considered a delicacy, same for testicles from whatever animal. Pigs sphincters can end up still now in tripe cuts, especially suckling pigs.

Nowadays it's hard to find this stuff, both because butchers and customers are not willing to deal with it. Most offal parts go directly to waste, there's no request. It's more than possible that a butcher will give you sweetbreads, kidneys, brains and so on because it's impossible to sell them and they have to pay to get rid of them, so you are doing them a favour to get them for free.

Some "adventurous" butchers are still willing to carry these traditions if you ask them, but it's more and more difficult due to EU legislations. Just for example dealing with cow udders is a huge PITA because you must certificate them as mastitis free. That's a pity, I had the luck (as a curious eater) to taste some of this stuff and I always liked it. Too bad it became such an hassle to find the ingredients and someone else willing to eat them (looking for a special ingredient and then being forced to eat it alone is one of the saddest things ever).

There is a good tradition involving fish too. If you go to Sicily it's quite easy to find tuna's "lattume", it's the fish spermatic pocket, if you order "pasta al lattume" you get pasta with tuna's sperm. Bottarga is prized everywhere, they are ovaries.

 

 

 

Teo

 

[gfweb]

2 hours ago, MetsFan5 said:

 

 

  My golden retriever Loves them too. But she can demolish one in about a half hour. 

These are the giant ones..like 4 ft long.

Which raises questions of course.

[scubadoo97]

If you have ever seen a bull copulate it makes sense 

[FeChef]

I know my post will get deleted but i just have to say that i will eat just about anything but a species male parts.