Finals week is on us once again. This week we have had to turn in a paper, do an oral presentation on the paper, take a written exam and then do a practical exam. To say it has been a busy week is an understatement. Lots research and lots of kitchen time.
The paper and oral presentation needed to be on basically any culinary food item. We had to discuss the history of it, practical daily uses for it, any religious implications of it (if any) and any strange or unusual uses of the item. This was actually a lot of fun to research.
The item I came up with was Rocky Mountain Oysters. If you are unaware of what those are, they are bull testicles. This didn't sound tasty at all at first, but the more I dug into this project the more I found out they are actually quite tasty. Historically, bull testicles and sheep testicles have been eaten for thousands of years. Once thought to enhance virility. It is still considered in some cultures to be an aphrodisiac. In actuality, the virility part is completely untrue, because any of the virility aspects of it are cooked out.
In the Western part of the US, it is not uncommon at all to serve bull testicles. Depending on the area, they are either Rocky Mountain Oysters or Prairie Oysters. They are usually skinned, battered and deep fried. They are usually served as an appetizer, but sometimes as an entree. There are quite a few festivals held in the West with Rocky Mountain Oysters as the main star.
The coolest part of all the research I did, was find the most unusual uses for Rocky Mountain Oysters. I think the most unusual is done by Wynkoop Brewery in Denver, CO. As an April Fool's joke, they produced a YouTube video about making a beer out of Rocky Mountain Oysters. The video and demand was so popular, they decided to actually brew the beer. It is called Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout. Their head brewer Andy Brown developed the beers recipe. I have included a link at the bottom of this, to their page so you can read their blog and watch the video.
I wrote to the wonderful folks at Wynkoop and told them about my project. I asked permission to talk about their product, as well as use information from their site. Mr. Marty Jones and Ms. Shannon Berner contacted me. They were more than supportive of my project. Mr. Jones offered to send me some of their Stout to sample and share with my class. Their support on this project has been a fantastic experience.
So the the big question is "How's the beer?" This is absolutely the best stout I have ever had. It has a nice dark rich color. The taste is a nice nutty, chocolate and deep coffee flavor. The beer is smooth with no bad aftertaste at all. It's almost like one of those expensive, chain coffee places iced coffee, but with a better taste and a little more kick. I think one of my favorite things about Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout, besides the taste, is the genius of marketing. They are sold in two pack cans. It's obvious the folks at Wynkoop have a great sense of humor, as well as a great love of beer.
If there were any negatives to this stout, it would be the lack of availability, especially on the East Coast. So if you get a chance to visit Wynkoop or find their beer online, by it. They brew their Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout in very limited quantities, so act fast.
Thanks again to everyone at Wynkoop Brewery; Especially Marty Jones and Shannon Berner. And just for the record, I got an A on my written project and my oral presentation.
Until next time,
Bon Appetit
http://www.wynkoop.com/beer-blog/item/178-wynkoop-releases-first-cans-of-rocky-mountain-oyster-stout
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