Testicle cookfest draws int’l chefs

LIPOVICA, SERBIA — Spring rolls, ratatouille and curry were on the menu at a quirky food festival in rural Serbia on Saturday, with one gutsy ingredient in common—animal testicles.

Now in its 15th year, the cheeky World Testicle Cooking Championship draws a motley mix of team—from groups of friends to professional chefs—for a few days of fun in the Serbian countryside.

There they set up cooking camps in a forest, stirring bubbling stews over wood fires as they vie for the coveted Ball Cup.

While the testicles—gray in color and with a kidney-like texture—may spoil some appetites, festivalgoers waxed poetic about their taste and alleged aphrodisiac qualities.

Interesting flavors

“There were some really interesting combinations of flavor … the winner was super, really fantastic,” said Philomena O’Brien, an Australian woman who sat on the three-judge panel that blind-tasted dishes from nearly 20 teams.

“Choosing the best balls is quite a responsibility,” she added with a smile.

The event was started by Ljubomir Erovic, the author of a recipe book called “Cooking with Balls,” who claims testicles boost a man’s libido.

“It’s really an aphrodisiac festival,” he told Agence France-Presse (AFP), before donning a chef’s hat and announcing the winner on stage.

‘Quite challenging’

Flares and fireworks lit up the sky after a local Serbian team was crowned the winner, with a team of Japanese curry makers and French restaurateurs also singled out.

“It was quite challenging to do French gastronomy with testicles,” said a member of the French team, Philippe, who runs a restaurant in Paris.

“But we are happy with the result,” he added, showing off the team’s four-course menu featuring bull testicles with foie gras and chocolate “salty balls,” for which it received a special award.

Milos Kojanic, a 24-year-old from the winning team, said his group also took home last year’s trophy.

The secret to their saucy stews? “That’s a mystery,” he said. — AFP