10 of the world’s most disgusting foods
31st October, 2018
by
Lauren Eads
Fruit bats
Picture credit: The Disgusting Food Museum
Fried fruit bats are a common food source in the Pacific Rim and Asia, including Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Guam, due to their low fat content and high protein. They are prepared in a number of ways, cooked with green chilli, or deep fried whole. In Guam, Mariana fruit bats (Pteropus mariannus) are considered a delicacy, while the flying fox bat species was made endangered due to being hunted there. The 1999 version of The Oxford Companion to Food states that the flavour of fruit bats is similar to that of chicken, and that they are “clean animals living exclusively on fruit”. Apparently, the cook of a bat emits a strong odour similar to urine, which can be lessened by adding beer, garlic or chilli.