Sam Brasch debunks the Internet rumor that rats are producing their own fromage:
The main challenge for a rat cheese maker would be the scale of production. Even sheep and goats don’t produce nearly the quantity of milk you can get from a cow. “The smaller you go down the animal chain the less milk you are going to get,” says Nora Weiser of the American Cheese Society. You’d need an army of 674 rats to produce the 31 kilograms of milk one dairy cow puts out each day.
If you did muster such an operation, rats might actually make for pretty good dairy animals. Rat’s milk is high in protein (8 percent) and contains almost four times the fat by volume when compared to raw cow’s milk, so it would make a great brie and stand as a rich addition to a cup of coffee in the morning. A rodent dairy farm would also earn a stellar environmental report card. 674 rats would only produce .003 percent of the methane that comes from a dairy cow, so a piece le fromage de rat could end up being the most sustainable high-end cheese at the deli counter.
But turkey testicles (aka short fries) are a real dish:
The town of Byron, Illinois—more generally known for its nuclear power station—has been hosting a Turkey Testicle Festival for 35 years. And if you’re lucky enough to be in Huntley, Illinois this week, there’s another testicle festival for you to attend. “If you have never tried a turkey testicle, this is your chance!” the organizers promise. For those who have other plans this year, you should know that turkey testicles are about the size of “large olives,” Calvin W. Schwabe writes in his book Unmentionable Cuisine. They pair well with cocktails and can be prepared “by any recipe for sweetbreads.”
The Dish 