In Penang (Where We Ate Bulls’ Balls)

In Penang we stayed with our lovely friend Eugene, this meant that we ate much, much better food than we had become used to in expensive KL and Southern Thailand. In fact we spent entire days doing little else; Eugene gave us the full island food tour, driving round to multiple eating places that were like food festivals- markets of stalls, in which you wander round ordering from everywhere and giving your table number so that your food can be delivered to you in your seat.

I think Eugene decided, after a day of this, that he was making it all to easy for us and- as proper hardcore travellers- we needed a challenge to stay interested, so, kindly, he took us to a small Indian stall for our last meal and ordered bull ‘torpedo’ soup. This is soup made from testicles, and to go with it we got some nice penis.

We tried telling Eugene that we’re both vegetarian and he just laughed, mercilessly, assuming we were joking. Ironically this is actually true, at home.

Both soups were disgusting. I expected the taste to be much less bad than the idea, but for once this wasn’t the case…

…testicles taste like sewage, and penis sort of rancid. I think my expression is testament to this:

 

 

I managed a small taste of both and Jonny a mouthful. Eugene, however, bravely slurped down most of both soups.

We did do some much less disgusting things in Penang too: we saw some terrapins…

…(one was really big like an aquatic African tortoise)…

…and a lovely snake.