Deep fried bull testicles? Chew on this

IT might take balls to eat them, but deep fried bull testicles have a niche market in parts of Montana.

Participants tuck into fried bull testicles at the annual Testicle Festival in Montana, US / AAP

IT might take balls to eat them, but deep fried bull testicles have a niche market in parts of Montana.

This north-western US state even hosts its own Testicle Festival every year.

Strange food: Wasp crackers, worm lollipops

During the festival, held over August at the Rock Creek Lodge near Missoula, north of the capital Helena, punters gorge themselves on the unusual delicacy known as Rocky Mountain oysters.

"You've got to have the cock-sauce with them," quips Rocky Mountain oyster enthusiast Kent Taylor, who operates a lodge in the resort town of Whitefish.

He cups his hands to show their weight and size, describing them as about the size of an emu egg.

"They've got to be prepared just right," he said.

"You've got to skin them and then slice them about 3mm thick.

"Then you bread it and deep fry it and serve it with a cocktail sauce.

"They have a taste all of their own. I'd say it's a combination between an oyster and a chicken."

Not everyone shares his enthusiasm.

Marlee Iverson, a local tourism representative from Helena, screws up her nose at the mention of Rocky Mountain Oysters.

"They're not that good," she said, describing them as "sort of chewy and tasteless".

Bull testicles aren't the only exotic food you'll find in north-western regional US cuisine.

Montanans are keen hunters and big game is commonly found on the walls and on the menu.

Classy restaurants like Pomp at the Paws Up resort in the Flathead Valley offer Grilled Elk Loin with Pumpernickel-Gruyere Spaetzle, Kale and Mustard Demi Glace. Or you can go for the Prairie Harvest Cowboy Cut Bison Steak with Lobster Suppli, Roasted Beets and Bison Jus.

The locals also swear by moose and bear.

"(Bear) meat is very greasy but it makes good sausages," Rob Strope, who operates ATV tours at Paws Up and hunts in the Flathead Valley backcountry, said.

Over dinner at Pomp, Paws Up general manager Jim Nielsen recounts the story of how Native Americans hunted bison by driving them over cliffs known as bison jumps.

"A boy, about 12 or 13, would dress up as a bison calf and lead the herd to the bison jump," he said.

"At the same time, others dressed as wolves are chasing the herd from behind.

When the boy gets to the jump he throws off his disguise and the bison, seeing that he's a human, charge at him.

"At that point the boy jumps off the cliff and grabs onto a rope hanging underneath."

The unlucky bison followed the boy over the cliff to their death, where they were set upon by the rest of the tribe.

However, Nielsen admits tonight's meal was obtained, somewhat less spectacularly, from one Ted Turner's ranches – the TV mogul being the biggest private owner of bison in the US.

There's another regional favourite that takes some hunting although it doesn't require a gun – or a strong stomach.

Most Australians are familiar with the name Huckleberry thanks to Mark Twain's classic novel. But in Montana, it describes an elusive wild berry related to the blueberry.

Huckleberries are harvested by hand and used in pies, milkshakes, icecream, beer and pemmica, a traditional dish made by Native American tribes. One version of pemmica consists of ground venison jerky, dried huckleberries, honey, nut paste and cayenne pepper.

"Huckleberries are good," Dabney Ney, who works at the Hidden Moose Lodge said and confides to me that they can be found growing on nearby Big Mountain.

"The reason it's so popular is you can plant it and grow it but they won't produce berries. It only produces berries in the wild," she said of the bushes.

During my trip to Montana I sample a deliciously creamy huckleberry ice cream from Missoula and down a glass of Wild Huckleberry Wheat Lager from a local Whitefish brewery.

I also tuck into Ney's buckleberry buttermilk pancakes with organic Canadian maple syrup and bacon for breakfast at the Hidden Moose Lodge.

So if you find yourself in Montana, make sure you sample some of its unique local foods – you'll have yourself a ball.

IF YOU GO:

For information about a trip to Montana visit: www.visitmt.com.

For information on the Testicle Festival visit: www.testyfesty.com.

For information on the Paws Up Resort and Pomp restaurant visit: www.pawsup.com.

For information on the Hidden Moose Lodge visit: http://www.hiddenmooselodge.com/.

Visit: www.zuji.com.au for bookings in the US.

United Airlines flies to Los Angeles from Australia. Visit: www.united.com.

* The writer was a guest of United Airlines Australia and Visit Montana Tourism.

Strange food: Wasp crackers, worm lollipops and more