What Are Sweetbreads?

A ccording to the Larousse Gastronomique, sweetbread is "the culinary term for the thymus gland (in the throat) and the pancreas (near the stomach) in calves, lambs and pigs." Larousse further states that thymus sweetbreads are "elongated and irregular in shape" while pancreas sweetbreads are "larger and rounded."

What Are Sweetbreads?

But sweetbreads are neither sweet nor are they bread. The word "sweetbread" was first used in the 16th century, but the reason behind the name is unknown. Sweet is perhaps used since the thymus is sweeter and richer tasting than muscle flesh. Bread may come from brede “roasted meat,” or is used because bread was another name for morsel.

That's Offal


Sweetbreads, aka thymus glands, help young animals fend off disease, and after about six months, they are no longer needed and disappear. So sweetbreads are only found in calves, lambs, and kids, with the sweetbreads from milk-fed veal calves being most commonly eaten.


How to Cook Sweetbreads


Traditionally, French and Italian chefs serve sweetbreads in rich, creamy sauces, such as veloute sauce or brown sauce, like Madeira, or truffle sauce. Sweetbreads can be served breaded and fried or grilled after a night-long soak in buttermilk, sautéed, poached or broiled. In the modern renaissance of offal, sweetbreads are increasingly being seen on the menus of the nose-to-tail set.