traditional Chinese medicine Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an alternative medicine, alternative medical practice drawn from traditional medicine in China. A large share of its claims are pseudoscientific, with the majority of treatments having no robust evidence ...

, a tiger penis (

Vietnamese Vietnamese may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Vietnam, a country in Southeast Asia * Vietnamese people, or Kinh people, a Southeast Asian ethnic group native to Vietnam ** Overseas Vietnamese, Vietnamese people living outside Vietna ...

: ''Pín hổ''; ) is said to have important therapeutic properties. However, there is no scientific proof that tiger penis (or any other animal phallus) can be used to treat any medical disorder. The demand for tiger parts exacerbates the endangered status of the tiger by providing a market for poachers. While tiger penis is consumed in parts of

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

and

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...

, the consumption of tiger penis is often condemned by most global

environmental groups An environmental organization is an organization coming out of the conservation or environmental movements that seeks to protect, analyse or monitor the environment against misuse or degradation from human forces. In this sense the environme ...

. Genuine tiger genitals are unlikely to be found for sale in public markets; what is usually sold is a fraudulent product made from beef cattle.(An example image is provided below)

Health

The penis of a tiger, when consumed, is said to be a potent

aphrodisiac An aphrodisiac is a substance that increases libido, sexual desire, sexual attraction, sexual pleasure, or sexual behavior. These substances range from a variety of plants, spices, and foods to synthetic chemicals. Natural aphrodisiacs, such as ...

and an effective treatment for

erectile dysfunction Erectile dysfunction (ED), also referred to as impotence, is a form of sexual dysfunction in males characterized by the persistent or recurring inability to achieve or maintain a Human penis, penile erection with sufficient rigidity and durat ...

."Aphrodisiacs and the Myth of Tiger Penis Magical Cures"
''Tigerhomes.org'' However, there is no scientific evidence to support the usage of tiger penis in the treatment of any disorder. This persistent

folk belief In folkloristics, folk belief or folk-belief is a broad genre of folklore that is often expressed in narratives, customs, rituals, foodways, proverbs, and rhymes. It also includes a wide variety of behaviors, expressions, and beliefs. Examples o ...

has contributed to the poaching of tigers for their presumed benefits, the penis being just one of the tiger's many supposed medicinal assets. A very large underground market in China and other parts of Asia exists to keep up with constant demand for tiger parts. Medical studies conducted by scholars at the

University of New South Wales The University of New South Wales (UNSW) is a public research university based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was established in 1949. The university comprises seven faculties, through which it offers bachelor's, master's and docto ...

and the

University of Alaska The University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF or Alaska) is a public land-, sea-, and space-grant research university in College, Alaska, United States, a suburb of Fairbanks. It is the flagship campus of the University of Alaska system. UAF was e ...

claim that as the Chinese people are rapidly modernizing, more and more men are using

sildenafil Sildenafil, sold under the brand name Viagra among others, is a medication used to treat erectile dysfunction and pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary arterial hypertension. It is also sometimes used off-label for the treatment of certain sym ...

(Viagra) instead of folk remedies to treat erectile dysfunction. The researchers surveyed 256 Chinese men, aged 50 to 76, who sought treatment at a large TCM clinic in

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

over their methods to treat impotence. Although the studies indicated that older men in China are finding

(Viagra) to be a more effective treatment, they also indicated that they still resort to

alternative Alternative or alternate may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Alternative (Kamen Rider), Alternative (''Kamen Rider''), a character in the Japanese TV series ''Kamen Rider Ryuki'' * Alternative comics, or independent comics are an altern ...

treatments of (other) ailments such as

arthritis Arthritis is a general medical term used to describe a disorder that affects joints. Symptoms generally include joint pain and stiffness. Other symptoms may include redness, warmth, Joint effusion, swelling, and decreased range of motion of ...

indigestion Indigestion, also known as dyspepsia or upset stomach, is a condition of impaired digestion. Symptoms may include upper abdominal fullness, heartburn, nausea, belching, or upper abdominal pain. People may also experience feeling full earlier ...

and

gout Gout ( ) is a form of inflammatory arthritis characterized by recurrent attacks of pain in a red, tender, hot, and Joint effusion, swollen joint, caused by the deposition of needle-like crystals of uric acid known as monosodium urate crysta ...

Cuisine

People have been known to spend up to $5700 (£3000) on a particularly rare tiger penis dish, which needed to be ordered months in advance. In the 1990s, dried tiger penis was reported to have been sold at around $2500 (£1300) in Singapore and Taiwan. The penis can be taken in soup, ground in wine (tiger penis wine), or soaked in rice. One method of preparation, particularly in the

Mekong River Delta The Mekong Delta ( or simply ), also known as the Western Region () or South-western region (), is the region in southwestern Vietnam where the Mekong River approaches and empties into the sea through a network of distributaries. The Mekong d ...

, is to place a dried tiger penis, with

testicle A testicle or testis ( testes) is the gonad in all male bilaterians, including humans, and is Homology (biology), homologous to the ovary in females. Its primary functions are the production of sperm and the secretion of Androgen, androgens, p ...

s still attached, into a bottle of French

cognac Cognac ( , also , ) is a variety of brandy named after the Communes of France, commune of Cognac, France. It is produced in the surrounding wine-growing region in the Departments of France, departments of Charente and Charente-Maritime. Cogn ...

Chinese wine Wine ( Chinese: ''pútáojiǔ'' lit. "grape alcohol") has a long history in China. Although long overshadowed by ''huangjiu'' (sometimes translated as "yellow wine") and the much stronger distilled spirit '' baijiu'', wine consumption has ...

and let it soak for a number of weeks. Then, as it matures, the liquor is taken in sips every night.

References

External links

A photograph of a bottle of tiger penis

whiskey Whisky or whiskey is a type of liquor made from Fermentation in food processing, fermented grain mashing, mash. Various grains (which may be Malting, malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, Maize, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky ...

Distinguishing Real vs Fake Tiger Penises
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211204062443/https://www.fws.gov/lab/idnotes/tigerpenisidn6.pdf , date=2021-12-04 - U.S Fish and Wildlife Felidae anatomy Lao cuisine Mammal penis Traditional Chinese medicine Vietnamese cuisine

Health

Cuisine

See also

References

External links