5 Shocking Dishes That Are Considered Delicacies in Indonesia

It’s estimated that 25 million dogs are consumed annually by humans. Although in most Western countries this is illegal, there are still many places, like West Africa and Southeast Asia, where devouring dog meat for dinner is considered common place. According to reports from Oman-based blogger and photographer Raymond Walsh, at the Tomohon Traditional market in North Sulawesi, dogs are kept in tiny cages, strangled, and flame-roasted whole. At Indonesian restaurants in Manado and Tondano, dog meat is commonly marinated in a sweet and sour sauce and fried up as a local delicacy. Dog meat is described as dark in color and very meaty in flavor, like beef mixed with mutton. According to connoisseurs, it’s much tastier than cat, another local delicacy often found on the menu.


Where to Stay: Hard Rock Hotel Bali

To many in the western world, rats are considered rodents -- baited and killed, blamed and shamed, chased out and disposed of. However, for some indigenous people in North Sulawesi, catching a rat is a real treat. Known locally as "bush meat," forest rat is a delicacy, brought to market and roasted on a stick for sale. The primo rat meat (i.e. the most expensive) comes from the white-tail bush rat, said to fetch roughly 30,000 IDR ( $3.30 USD) as it's known for being more flavorful and meatier than the cheaper and less desirable regular city rats. Forest rats are hunted most often with the help of canines, and for a price, westerners can take part in hunting their own rat and eating the fruits of their labour for dinner that evening.


Where to Stay: The Magani Hotel and Spa

Yes, we did say roasted monkey, a common delicacy found at the Tomohon Traditional market in North Sulawesi, where -- according to reports -- monkeys are shot and roasted whole for sale. Although hunting monkeys is considered internationally prohibited, it is still a very real part of life in parts of Indonesia. Bear in mind, Indonesians are not alone in their taste for monkey; at the Psar Thmei Market in Cambodia, raw monkey brain is sold as a local delicacy. There have been rumours of people devouring monkey brain whilst the monkey is still alive and caged; whether or not there is any truth to this is a mystery. Either way, think twice before plating up, as consuming brain is said to be rather risky, with the potential of adverse effects on a humans’ brain and nervous systems.


Where to Stay: Tanah Merah Resort & Gallery

If you like soft-shell crab, there’s a chance you may in fact be interested in devouring a dragonfly. In most cooking methods, the wings are removed, and the body is boiled or fried, usually in coconut oil with garlic and ginger. It’s commonly served over rice as a meal or by itself as a crunchy snack. Traditionally in Bali, dragonflies are hunted by lacquering a strip of palm with a sticky liquid produced naturally by the jackfruit tree. If the dragonfly sticks, dinner is caught. However, this delicacy is not exclusive to Indonesia; in fact it’s even available stateside, at the Bug Appétit eatery in New Orleans. Eat up?


Where to Stay: The Kana Kuta

There is currently no legal regulation against the consumption of bats in Indonesia -- a reality that animal activists are trying to appeal against, with conservation campaigns in Southeast Asian countries targeted at encouraging locals to substitute bat meat with more sustainable alternatives. According to the Global Ecology and Conservation Journal, some bat species are threatened with extinction due to excessive hunting. In North Sulawesi, Indonesia, whole roasted bat can be bought from most traditional markets including Langowan and the infamous Tomohon market. Common bat dishes include Goreng Bumbu Kelelawar Khas Manado, which involves grounding bat meat and marinating it in galangal, chilli, ginger, and soy sauce, and Paniki, a dish usually prepared by roasting off the bats hair, followed by boiling it in a broth of coconut milk, spices, and herbs.


Where to Stay: The Oberoi Bali


*N.B. We at Oyster.com do not condone the consumption of any of the aforementioned meats.


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