Bats at Tomohon Traditional Market, North Sulawesi, Indonesia
The market in Tomohon, Indonesia is one of those places that you can smell before you see. And it’s pretty much a grisly experience for both those senses. One of the most ghoulish looking creatures on offer is the lowly fruit bat. It’s usually sold already roasted, although there are live ones available as well if that better suits your culinary needs.
These web-winged mammals are generally used in the Minahasan dish Paniki, which is bat cooked in coconut milk with spicy herbs.
The wings are sold separately from the bat, presumably as a nice light snack, or perhaps a conversation piece.
If seeing dead bats drives you…well, batty, check out some less ghastly things to do in Manado, only 33 kilometres away.
My visit to the Tomohon Traditional Market was part of a rat-hunting tour (yes…rat-hunting, more on that later) provided by LocalGuiding.com.
It’s quite the experience — if you can stomach it.
Oman 
actually, with coconut and spices, that doesn’t sound so bad. Do they only sell the male bats?
I think there may be one or two females in there, but judging from their junk, these were mostly male bats.
Holy flying rodents…I always said I would try anything once, all the way to monkey brains…but… wow. The stretched, bloated look of these really hit me the wrong way…
Yeah a bloated bat is not so appetizing. Perhaps if they were a little more, ummm, rakish, they’d be a tad more photogenic.
Oh my god…I thought I’d seen everything. That really looks sick!!! A light snack, huh? LOL
PS: You didn’t try it, did you???
Nope, I was saving my appetite for the rat.
oh wow… i first thought it was a rat… d*mn seems like everything that moves can be eaten LOL
Anything that moves shall be eaten!! No foot is faster than a fork.
Yikes! Although creepy it’s also very interesting. Almost like a train wreck…I can’t look away. Thanks for sharing.
It is like a train wreck! Heavy on the wreck for sure…
Holy crap, they look liked they died screaming! Intense!
They died doing what they love best.
a) That’s disgusting.
b) I had no idea bats were so….endowed. LOL
Yeah I didn’t even know males bats had a penis until I saw these fellas.
Oh… dear… God…
Don’t… I… know… it…
Ok, yuck!!! I really have no other words. Definitely the wrong post for me (a vegetarian) to read, haha
On a better note, I LOVED your post on Changi Airport’s customer service “brainwashing.” Awesome!
Thanks Andi! I’m glad you liked the Changi post! Sorry that they the market was not very vegetarian friendly though…
Gross! Good thing we’ve been on a veg diet the last 3 weeks in India! LOL. Now I may never go back to meat. haha
I was trying to find out how one would cook them or what to do with them. I thought they were to be protected as they eat insects and bugs> I cannot believe that one would want to eat them as some say they may have rabies? What on earth is this place coming to…next kill and eat mosquitoes!!!!
I forgot to add lice fleas and bedbugs to the last comment.