I’ll get this one out of the way. 鸡蛋 (jī dàn) means chicken eggs which obviously come from the hens, but 公鸡蛋 (gōng jī dàn) means roosters’ eggs!
公鸡蛋 - Chicken Testicles
What we are talking here are chicken testicles which are popular delicacy here in China. In western countries, few people even know roosters have such appendages as they are found inside the bird next to the kidneys, near the backbone. The little pink (usually*) sausage-like, vaguely egg-shaped nuggets are, no surprise, believed by followers of TCM to enhance male virility.
They are known by various names, such as prairie oysters**, rocky mountain oysters**, rooster fries, chicken beans, and many more names. “Chicken balls” is a mainly Chinese-American preparation, generally unknown in China. They do not contain reproductive organ meat!
The testicles can vary a lot in size depending on the age of the rooster, but are generally larger than one might expect until you realise that the average rooster on the farm has to “service” 20 to 30 hens per day!
Testicles showing size variation
The prep is simple. They only require washing and any strings removed. The outer skin is usually removed like peeling a sausage. They are then usually simmered in a simple broth with vegetables or, especially, mushrooms. Sometimes, they are briefly marinated in rice wine before being introduced to the broth.
Fifteen minutes maximum will see them fully cooked, but true connoisseurs prefer them rarer, with a soft tofu like texture even heading to liquid in the centre.
Fried chicken testicles are a popular street food in Taiwan and I’ve seen grilled sets on skewers (ouch) in various parts of China.
The taste is mild and reminiscent of chicken livers. If you imagine chicken liver flavoured tofu, you’ll be close. I find them quite pleasant, but don’t go mad looking for them, not that I have to here. They are easily available.
They seem to be seldom eaten in the west, so are not so easily obtained most places, although I hear that in Hungary, kakashere pörkölt (rooster testicle stew) is a fairly popular dish at festivals.
Turkey testicles can be treated in the same fashion, but turkeys (火鸡 - huǒ jī, literally 'fire chicken') are rare in China.
* Silkies, aka black chickens or black-boned chickens (although they are almost always white-feathered), have black testes matching the colour of their flesh and bones. Their testes are seldom available in western countries, but can be found here.
** These terms are also applied to the testicles of other animals.
