Pizzle

Bull pizzle cut into small pieces for dogs to chew.

Pizzle is an old English word for penis, derived from Low German pesel or Flemish Dutch pezel, diminutive of pees, meaning 'sinew'.^[1] The word is used today to signify the penis of an animal,^[2] chiefly in Australia and New Zealand.^[3]

Original uses

Bull pizzle

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.

In heraldry

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Pizzles are represented in heraldry, where the adjective pizzled (or vilené^[4]) indicates that part of an animate charge's anatomy, especially if coloured differently.

Modern uses

Animal consumption

Pizzles, or Bully Sticks, are almost exclusively used/produced today as chewing treats for dogs.^[2]

Glue

The pizzle of a bull was commonly rendered for use as glue.^[5]

Human consumption

In addition to being used as a dog treat, pizzles are also eaten by humans for their health benefits such as being low in 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][6] 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.

References