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Devil's Testacles

The Devil’s Testicles

I was talking with a friend in pre-covid days about food and what we like and dislike in our diets. I know, it seems a pretty boring conversation.

Vegetables

You might have a vision that we were standing, arms folded, chatting away like two old washerwomen. It honestly wasn’t like that. It all started with a quip about vegetables as around these parts a lot of people have the land to grow their own. They don’t mind sharing their spoils either, which we are always more than grateful for. However, it wasn’t long before we were comparing vegetables, which ones we like or dislike and so on.

Make Me Gag

I noticed the Brussells Sprouts and made my feelings known that I can’t abide the things. Ever since I went to nursery school, I only have to hear the mere mention of ‘sprouts’ and immediately I feel myself wanting to gag! At this point, my friend spurted out, “Oh, the Devils testicles!” What a wonderful description and for me it’s perfect. I thought he was being quite polite too as when you stop to think about it, there’s probably far coarser names he could have given them.

I Don’t Dislike All Vegetables

I don’t dislike vegetables, there are a few that I try to eat as often as possible. Cabbage, cauliflower, peas, green beans and I love a good homemade vegetable soup in the middle of winter. As for those testicle things, no chance, not even on Christmas day. They smell strange, taste awful (to me anyway) and I know I’ll never enjoy them. I’ve even seen people coat them in chocolate to make them a little more palatable, but it’s no good, they’re not my dish. That’s enough of my hates so it leaves me to wish that you have a nice day.

There’s even been a science-based report on why some of us hate sprouts. If you’d like to read it, you can find it here:

66 thoughts on “The Devil’s Testicles”

    1. You silly old sod Trev I really love your work you are great you are funny great sense of humor your informative I’ve learned a lot it’s it’s wonderful it’s a great road trip with you of course I’m here in America with all the drug addicts and zombies and you find your own little normal place and you pray to God nobody bothers you so you could live but it never works that way but oh my God I love your stuff especially your trip to Mongolia thanks sincerely Sharon

  1. Last time I went out to dinner, which was a very rare occurrence, we were served sprouts prepared I think in garlic and I’m not sure what.They were very tiny, so tender and sweet and not sproutish at all! You might even enjoy them, but with so many other choices, why would you? Off hand I can’t think of a veg I don’t like. Plenty of other things!

  2. Thank you, Thank you, and again I say Thank you! Finally after 69 years I feel vindicated for the years of telling parents that “Yes, Brussel Sprouts taste as bad as I’m saying!”. Now that I know that I have two of those pesky bitter-tasting PTC genes my gag reflex with sprouts is finally explained. And I now know that to my mom, sprouts tasted good. That article you found was a gem.

  3. For some strange reason it took eight attempts before I could read this post. WP wanted me to instal the software (which I already have, and use) Then it said it could not load the comments, and then wanted me to log on to post a comment. At times I hate WP – but I love sprouts!

    1. It was my hosting company that was at fault. I got a huge spike in visitors that took the blog off. In some ways, I was pleased with the extra volume, but it’s no good if people can’t see it. Glad you like sprouts though, thank you, Peter. 🙂

  4. Am I alone in finding that people who like sprouts spend an awful lot of time trying to persuade the rest of us that they’re, really, very nice to eat? However, you can cook ’em with bacon, chestnuts, coat the things in cheese, or whatever: but they still taste like sprouts.

    1. No, you’re not alone. I’ve been coaxed many times to eat them and every time I’ve had to refuse. I wish I could eat them, it would keep people off my back. Thank you 🙂

  5. I fully agree with you the eating of Sprouts. Was always told that they are just ‘little cabbages’. Thankfully, because I’m on Warfarin, I can claim that they are “… full of vitamin K and dangerous for me …”. Seems to work!

  6. I don’t know of any law which says eating brussel sprouts is compulsory even on Christmas Day and you obviously enjoy enough others to have a good diet so why worry? I hated them as a child – overcooked and soggy and bitter. Now I enjoy them so I eat them but I certainly wouldn’t if they still tasted horrible to me.

  7. I happen to like them – but its a 50/50 split amongst my friends, and yes they have been called ‘the Devils testicles’ by a few of them. In fact it is quite odd just how many foodstuffs we refer to as – ‘The Devils’ testicles/balls/eyballs and in one case ears! Oddly prawns in case you were wondering.

  8. As a kid, I didn’t like eating vegetables, but that changed when I grew older and wiser about such things. As to the “Devil’s testicles,” I’ve added them to my diet here in the USA. Like you, my sons don’t like them for the same reason 🙂

  9. Your friend’s description was very apt – I love it!! I’ve never understood how people can eat The Devil’s Testicles, they’re just wrong on so many levels. Now, give me a gigantic bowl of Bird’s Eye Petit Pois & I’m a happy camper.x

  10. I am a little bit surprised that you are OK with cabbage but not OK with brussel sprouts since they are vegetable cousins. Now I will go and read the article you linked to in your blog post and learn more… Thank you for this playful and informative blog post!

  11. It’s okay not to like all veggies.. I used to teach teach a class called seeing the dark side of vegetables, and the funnest part was how children wouldn’t touch them until they learned how to cook them, was interesting to see how kids adapted to eating things they never liked when cooked in dishes they might not suspect had that vegetable. Was fun,.,,

  12. Food and our tastes really tend to differ from place to place. The ‘Devil’s Testicles’ is perhaps an everyday food in many regions of India, specially the Bengalis eat it all the time. They prepare it even with shrimps. I personally do not like it so much. Thanks for sharing this thought, it made me think a lot about food difference.

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