The dish is served in parts of
Canada, where
cattle ranching is prevalent and
castration of young male animals is common. "Prairie oysters" is the preferred name in Canada where they are served in a
demi-glace. In
Oklahoma and the
Texas Panhandle, they are often called calf fries. In
Spain,
Argentina and many parts of
Mexico, they are referred to as
criadillas, and they are colloquially referred to as
huevos de toro (literally, "bull's eggs"; besides its literal meaning,
huevos is a Spanish slang term for testicles) in Central and South America. A few other terms, such as "cowboy caviar", "Montana tendergroins", "dusted nuts", "swinging beef", or simply "mountain oysters" may be used. The dish, purportedly cowboy fare, is most commonly found served at festivals, amongst ranching families, or at certain specialty eating establishments and bars.
Eagle, Idaho, claims to have the "World's Largest Rocky Mountain Oyster Feed" during its Eagle Fun Days (now held the second weekend in July).
Clinton, Montana;
Deerfield, Michigan;
Huntley, Illinois; Sesser, Illinois;
Olean, Missouri;
Severance, Colorado; and
Tiro, Ohio also hold
testicle festivals.
Virginia City, Nevada holds a Rocky Mountain Oyster Fry in conjunction with
St. Patrick's Day each year. Rocky Mountain oysters are sometimes served as a prank to those unaware of the origin of these "oysters". They are considered to be an
aphrodisiac by many people. ==Similar dishes==