And now to the story of the stones. Oh, you don’t know what I mean, you know, rocky mountain oysters? How about prairie oysters or sweetbread? lamb fries? Sheep eggs? Bull eggs? Unmentionables? Little maids? Fine, fine! I tried SHEEP TESTICLES!
Perhaps the best example of a food described by so many euphemistic culinary names, something possessed me to try some testicles when I was in Lebanon… Yes you read that right. A popular delicacy in Lebanon and in other parts of the Middle-East where they waste absolutely no part of the animals they eat!
Testicles are usually served up in Lebanon if the form of a wrap. Wrapped in khobz with a splash of toum (garlic sauce) and some pickles.
I opened up the wrap and grabbed a piece of testicle and tried just that in an attempt to get to grips with the flavour and texture. The testicle was perhaps unsurprisingly spongey, bouncy and squidgy. It was also a little bit slimy in spite of all the membrane being cleaned away.
From the get go, the psychological trauma of knowing I was about to eat sheep balls was very off-putting, but this definitely tasted atrocious also. There was a very gamey taste. It was incredibly chewy and rubbery as well as mildly slimy all together. The garlic sauce did wonders to try and contain the flavour, but the atrocity shone through. It also left a horrible bitter aftertaste.
I would certainly not recommend this, it will almost definitely find a way onto Quizine’s worst food list.
PRICING
A sheep testicle wrap will set you back 6000 Lebanese Pounds ($4), approx £3.22.
HALAL INDEX
Debatable. There are some who say this is makrooh, others say it is permissible. This is a delicacy across a number of Muslim majority Middle-Eastern countries. But it is probably best to do your own research and come to a conclusion about how you feel.