BBC News Correspondent Andrew Harding writes about the practice of eating various animal’s penises in China. The body part is considered as both a delicacy and helpful to a person’s well-being.

However, due to the demand, critics of this practice argue that it a huge contributor to the illegal trade in wildlife.

From the BBC:

Not long ago, a particularly rich real estate mogul came in with four friends. All men. Women don’t come here so often, and they shouldn’t eat testicles,” says Nancy solemnly. The men spent $5,700 (£3,000) on a particularly rare dish, something that needed to be ordered months in advance.

“Tiger penis,” says Nancy.

The illegal trade in tiger parts is a big problem in China.

Campaigners say the species is being driven towards extinction because of its popularity as a source of traditional medicine.

I mention this, delicately, to Nancy, but she insists that all her tiger supplies come from animals that have died of old age.

“Anyway, we only have one or two orders a year,” she says.

“So what does it taste like?” I ask.

“Oh, the same as all the others,” she says blithely.

And does it have any particular potency? “No. People just like to order tiger to show off how much money they have.”

Welcome to the People’s Republic of China - tigers beware.

The illegal trade in wildlife and animals is listed by Havocscope to be a $20 billion market.