Pizzle is an old English word for penis, derived from Low German pesel or Flemish Dutch pezel, diminutive of pees 'sinew'. [1] The word is used today to signify the penis of a non-human animal,[2] now chiefly used in Australia and New Zealand. [3]
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Pizzles are represented in heraldry, where the adjective pizzled indicates that part of an animate charge's anatomy, especially if coloured differently.
It is also known, at least since 1523, especially in the combination "bull pizzle", to denote a flogging instrument made from a bull's penis - compare bullwhip.
Pizzles are almost exclusively used/produced today as chewing treats for dogs.[2] They are a fibrous muscle, and are prepared by cleaning, stretching, twisting and then drying. Bully Sticks, as they are commonly called, can be smoked in a traditional smoker and can impart a smoked aroma if done with wood. They can also be sun dried or oven baked. The result is a very hard, 80–100 centimetres (30–40 in) long brown stick, which is then sawed into pieces appropriate for the size of the dog.
The pizzle of a bull was commonly rendered for use as glue.[4]
In addition to being used as a dog treat, pizzles are also eaten by humans for their health benefits such as being low cholesterol and high in protein, hormones, vitamins and minerals such as calcium and magnesium.[2]. Pizzles for human consumption are prepared either by freezing or by drying. Scottish deer pizzles are thought to boost stamina and were used by Chinese athletes at the 2008 Summer Olympics.[2][5] Pizzles can be served in soup, and if they have been dried they can be turned into a paste. Pizzles may also be mixed with alcoholic beverages or simply thawed (if frozen) and eaten. [2] In Jamaica, bull pizzles are referred to as "cow cods" and are eaten as cow cod soup. Like many pizzle-based foods, cow cod soup is claimed to be a male aphrodisiac.