Testicles: Balls in Cooking and Culture

Prospect Books, 2011. — 58 p.Most ram lambs are castrated in the first weeks of life, using rubber rings to constrict the blood-supply to the testes which then atrophy. Tis is painless and usually trouble-free. Some breeds, of hill lamb for example, do not respond well to this method of treatment and are castrated somewhat later in life using the Burdizzo clamp. Tis is not a surgical procedure and the testes remain in place. It is merely the spermatic cord that has been interrupted. Tis results in the number of testicles available to butchers being vastly reduced at a stroke, or a squeeze. However, not all lamb is castrated and it should be remembered that according to the rules of halal or kosher, castrated animals are not desirable. Terefore, the most likely place to find a ready supply of lamb’s fry is a halal butcher. Just as the most likely place to find them on a menu is a Middle Eastern restaurant. However if you ask any butcher nicely he should be able to supply you.