Chefs around the globe are gearing up for the annual, World Testicle and Aphrodisiac Cooking Championship held in Serbia this coming September.
One of the goals of the competition is to raise awareness of the health benefits of eating testicles and a call for a more responsible way to use a greater percentage of the protein provided by farmed animals.
However, what's the nutrition of a bull, pig, or sheep testicle and should you start asking your butcher to save you some?
The nutrition data on testicles was a bit hard to track down (not surprisingly), but here's what I found.
Serving Size: 100g (3.5oz)Calories: 135Protein: 26gFat: 3gCholesterol: 375mgCarbohydrates: 1gI found some more data concerning a ram testicle, which had similar macronutrients to the beef and pig, but additionally listed the mineral components.
Sodium: 171mgPotassium: 380mgIron: 6%Phospherous: 26%Magnesium: 3%Zinc: 13%Testicles are promoted as an aphrodisiac because they are supposed to also contain testosterone. However, from what I read, you would have to eat them raw to get the benefit. Information on testosterone injections says that the syrum has to be kept away from heat as this will break down the hormone.Well personally, I don't think I'll be adding testicles to my diet, but to each their own. They are a good source of lean protein and would be perfect for all the people on the Dukan Diet or the 17 Day Diet. Testicles seem awfully high in cholesterol if the source I found is correct, which is more than the daily recommended allowance. Cholesterol is needed to produce testosterone so this would make sense.
I would agree with the notion that a lot of the edible parts of an animal do get wasted, but I don't want to be one that has to eat them. Would you eat bull, pig, or sheep testicles if they were available from your butcher?
Sources: The Journal of the American Oil Chemists Society, 1965, (Vol. 42, page 540) , Fitbit.com
