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"Mountain Oysters" - Mattityahu ben Noach - 11-09-2011

Here in the South, there is a meat item that is sometimes offered. They're called "mountain oysters" or sometimes "Rocky Mountain oysters." Essentially they are bull testicles.
I know that it is forbidden to eat the limb of an animal which was removed while the animal was still alive. It is my understanding Mountain Oysters are removed while the bull is alive, making them forbidden for Gentiles. I would assume they are forbidden for Jews, too, but...
1) Are they kosher for Jews if the animal was dead before they were removed?
2) Are they okay for Gentiles if it can be ascertained with certainty the animal was dead before they were removed?
3) If they are not kosher for Jews but are okay for Gentiles if removed after the animal is dead, would/could a Jewish butcher (I think the word is "shochet") set the body apart for Gentiles to eat?


RE: "Mountain Oysters" - Director Michael - 11-16-2011

(11-09-2011, 05:53 AM)Mattityahu ben Noach Wrote: ... Essentially they are bull testicles....

1) Are they kosher for Jews if the animal was dead before they were removed?

In order to be made kosher for Jews, the bull must first be killed by kosher Jewish slaughter, and the carcass must be inspected for any signs of disease or injury that would make the animal "treifeh" and hence forbidden for a Jew to consume. If the carcass is deemed acceptable for kosher processing, the testicle meat would have to be "kashered" by soaking, salting and rinsing to remove the blood, which is forbidden for Jews to consume. For this part of the animal, that process is not so simple, because the testicle has a thick outer membrane that requires a special procedure before the kashering process.

(11-09-2011, 05:53 AM)Mattityahu ben Noach Wrote: 2) Are they okay for Gentiles if it can be ascertained with certainty the animal was dead before they were removed?

Yes.

(11-09-2011, 05:53 AM)Mattityahu ben Noach Wrote: 3) If they are not kosher for Jews but are okay for Gentiles if removed after the animal is dead, would/could a Jewish butcher (I think the word is "shochet") set the body apart for Gentiles to eat?

Yes, that could be done. In most slaughterhouses where kosher slaughter is done, the lower-back section with the hindquarters of the kosher-slaughtered animal is transferred into the non-kosher section of the slaughterhouse, because it is too much trouble to painstakingly remove the sciatic nerve (the "gid ha'nasheh") from the back legs, since Jews are forbidden to eat that. Usually when the back end of the carcass is "dressed" for transfer to the non-kosher meat line, the area of the carcass around the testicles is simply removed and thrown away.


RE: "Mountain Oysters" - brian - 03-08-2014

The crushed testicles of animals has been rumored to be ingredients to certain energy drinks, such as "Monster" or "Rockstar" energy drinks. This is just a rumor. I love these drinks, but currently abstain pending further investigation. thanks for letting me post.