Fruit Bats (Guam)

Would you like your bat grilled, barbecued, deep fried, stewed or stir fried? Fruit bats are consumed in Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Guam, and in other Asian and Pacific Rim countries and cultures. Apparently, bats taste similar to chicken, have a low fat content and are high in protein. On the tiny island of Guam, however, locals like to have their bats alive inside a coconut milk soup.

The still-living bat is nabbed from the wild, rinsed off, and popped into a boiling vat of water, wings, fur, and head intact, then it is boiled alive before being served up with a dash of coconut milk and vegetables. If you try them at home (please don’t), and you smell urine, don’t worry. It’s due to the fact that bats spend a significant amount of time in an upside-down position, in which urine and fecal matter may be on their bodies. This may be reduced by first washing them, or by adding garlic, onion, chili pepper – or even beer –during cooking!