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The gizzard, also referred to as the ventriculus, gastric mill, and gigerium, is an organ found in the digestive tract of some animals, including archosaurs ( and other dinosaurs, , , ), , some , some fish, and some . This specialized stomach constructed of thick muscular walls is used for grinding up food, often aided by particles of stone or grit. In certain insects and molluscs, the gizzard features plates or teeth.
By comparison, although in birds the stomach occurs in the digestive tract prior to the gizzard, in grasshoppers the gizzard occurs prior to the stomach, while in earthworms there is only a gizzard, and no stomach.
The lining is critical to the proper functioning of the gizzard, but in some animals it can play an additional role as well. The male hornbill, for example, will fill its gizzard with fruit and then slough off the entire membrane to present it like a 'bag of fruit' to its mate during the nesting season.
These stones are called gizzard stones or and usually become round and smooth from the polishing action in the animal's stomach. When too smooth to do their required work, they may be excreted or regurgitated.
that are believed to have had gizzards based on the discovery of gizzard stones recovered near fossils include:
The belief that Claosaurus had a gizzard has been discredited on the grounds that the fossil remains this claim was based on were another species and the stones merely from a stream. (2025). 9780253348173, Indiana University Press. ISBN 9780253348173
At least some pterosaurs seemingly had gizzards. The most notable cases are Pterodaustro (inferred via gastroliths) and Rhamphorhynchus (directly preserved). (2025). 9780691150611, Princeton University Press. ISBN 9780691150611
Carnivorous birds such as birds of prey as well as kiwis have membranuous gizzards as opposed to the sub-compressed gizzards of most birds.
Conversely, it is thought that some extinct birds like Enantiornithes did not have gizzards.
Grilled chicken gizzards are sold as street food in Haiti and throughout Southeast Asia. They are considered offal.
Giblets consist of the heart, liver and gizzard of a bird, and are often eaten themselves or used as the basis for a soup or stock.
Gizzard and mashed potato is a popular dish in many European countries.
In Spain, they are cooked on the plancha, and eaten while they are crispy on the outside.
In Hungary, it is made with paprika as zúza pörkölt.
In France, especially the Dordogne region, duck gizzards are eaten in the traditional Périgordian salad, along with walnuts, croutons and lettuce.
In Italy, gizzards are often used mixed with other offal.
In East Slavs countries, gizzards are the basis of many soups, such as rassolnik.
In Yiddish, gizzards are referred to as pupik'lech (also pipiklach, in its less normative form), literally meaning . The gizzards of kosher species of birds have a green or yellowish membrane lining the inside, which must be peeled off before cooking, as it lends a very bitter taste to the food. In traditional Eastern European Jewish cuisine, the gizzards, necks and feet of chickens were often cooked together, although not the liver, which per kosher law must be . Kosher butchers often sell roasting chickens with the gizzard, neck and feet butchered and left in the cavity to be used for making chicken soup.
In Japan, gizzard is called zuri or sunagimo; usually it is cooked in yakitori (Japanese style skewered barbecue). In Kyushu (southern Japan), gizzard is fried into karaage.
In Korea, chicken gizzard, called dak-ttongjip, is stir-fried and eaten as anju or yasik. In some places, it is prepared raw and eaten mixed with garlic and onion.
In Taiwan, gizzards are often slow-cooked and served hot or cold in slices, with green onions and soy sauce. Skewered deep-fried gizzards without batter are also popular and served on the menu of many fried chicken stores.
In Mainland China, duck gizzard is a common snack, eaten alongside other duck parts such as feet, neck, heart, tongue, or head.Victor Mair (2015), Chinese words and characters for "gizzard", Language Log, 7 January 2015. Areas famous for their gizzard are Sichuan and Hubei provinces. Wuhan city in Hubei is famous for its brand of spicy gizzard, called jiujiuya (Simplified Chinese: 久久鸭). In Northern China, one can find barbecued duck gizzard.
The word sangdana is commonly used to refer to chicken gizzards in Northern India. The word is derived from Persian language (sang = stone and dana = grain). Another name is pathri. It may be served cooked in a curry, while barbecued skewered gizzards are also popular. In Kerala, vattum-karulum (literally translates to gizzard-liver curry) is a popular dish.
In Iran, some kebab restaurants mix chicken gizzards in their koobideh kebabs to increase the meat content. Gizzards are usually cooked at the same time along with chicken, packets of gizzards are also sold separately.
In Nepal, gizzard is called jaatey or pangra. It is eaten most often with drinks.
In the Philippines, gizzard is called "Balun Balunan". It is usually cooked as a street food in a skewered barbecue style, though some households treat it like an entree. The most common style is "Adobo".
In Nigeria, gizzard is either grilled or fried and served with stew and fried plantain, known as gizdodo. Skewered gizzards are also popular.
In Kenya, Uganda, Cameroon and Nigeria, the gizzard of a cooked chicken is traditionally set aside for the oldest or most respected male at the table.
In Uganda, gizzard and other giblets are now commonly sold separately in the frozen section of supermarkets.
In Mexico, they are eaten with rice or with chicken soup. They are also served grilled and prepared scrambled with eggs, onions, garlic and salsa; and served with beans and tortillas for breakfast and other meals.
In Trinidad and Tobago, gizzards are curried and served with rice or roti bread; it can also be stewed.
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