How did sweetbreads get their name?
Sweetbread is the name of a dish made of the pancreas (belly/stomach/heart sweetbread) or thymus gland (neck/throat/gullet sweetbread) of an animal younger than one year old. These animals are usually lambs or calves. The two organs have very different biological functions, but look fairly similar and so are considered, for the purpose of cooking, to be comparable. Thymus sweetbreads are slightly longer and more irregular, with pancreas sweetbreads being larger and more rounded. The term can also refer to the sweetening of bread with honey or sugar. Sweetbread is highly perishable and is considered a good source of vitamins and minerals. Sweetbreads are simple to prepare and cook. Preparation is usually by boiling for a time, after which the fatty sinew is removed carefully without breaking up the sweetbreads. Unlike kidneys which require salting and soaking, sweetbread is simply seasoned and fried, with a knob of butter to finish. Often sweetbreads are crumbed, deep fried, and served
