Shocking: Brad tries the chef’s special at the Tomohon market, the most macabre meat market in Indonesia, but even he did not expect to see this on his plate.
Note: This article contains foods of Indonesia that are not common in the Western World. If you are offended by other cultures, are strictly vegetarian, or simply want to remain blissfully unaware of where meat comes from, this article is not for you.
In Search of Bizarre Foods
Tomohon Traditional Meat Market, Sulawesi-
My mission to debunk perhaps the most notorious travel myth, live monkey brains, has brought me through 8 Indonesian islands to one of the most remote places on earth. I had been through dirty back-alley markets serving some of the strangest animals and dishes I’ve ever seen to find the epicenter of bizarre foods. I was excited but what I was about to see was shocking beyond belief.
It is here in Tomohon, Sulawesi where the local Minhasan people are said to eat anything with four legs but the tables and chairs. This might be the only place on earth with fewer food taboos than China, and likely the only place in Indonesia where monkey is still a chef’s special. What I found was raw was and grizzly.
Ancient Traditions Survive
Tomohon is perched in the hills outside of Manado, Sulawesi, in a region with the highest density of Christians in Indonesia. Weird traditional beliefs are still thriving in parts of Sulawesi because Christian faith has been the least oppressive of the imperialistic religions, so the culture is a mix of Christianity with ancient beliefs and customs. In many Muslim areas, historical beliefs have been mostly eradicated.
Rats, Rats Everywhere
Rats are welcome, in fact encouraged at this market. This is “bush meat” at its most refined, almost everything here was found running around the forest yesterday, and indigenous people travel here from all over the region to show off whatever odd animals they’ve found in the forest. On this mysterious island, hot dog takes on an entirely new connotation.
This food is completely organic, free-range, antibiotic free, locally-sourced and farm-to-table. That’s good, right?
Vendors come from far and wide to showcase their live animals
The Traditional Market
At first glance, this appears to be no different than a typical traditional market. The parking lot is clogged with shared vans and walking vendors selling everything from ice cream and candy to plastic toys and fresh flowers. The front of the market has colorful displays of colorful fruit and pungent spices. But this facade masks a secret.
Flamboyant displays of fresh chilis illuminate the streets of Sulawesi
There is a tremendous variety of fresh fruits and vegetables here
The fresh smoked fish will make your mouth water
Everything on Four Legs
As we turn deeper into the thriving central market, the stark difference smacks us in the face. The pungent smells of death fill our noses, burning hair, decaying meat, blood and human sweat. Hordes of flies enjoy an unimaginable feast. The raucous excitement builds the closer we get to the action.
If you get squeamish at all, you can read one of my more pleasant articles here
Animals still convulsing in pools of their own warm blood, burning alive in the fires of flame-throwers singing all of their hair off. Saturday is the day the snake vendors come from the villages with their fresh catch, and there is exhilaration in the air. Vendors are welcoming and love to stir the emotions.
These decapitated pig heads are proudly displayed in their own juices
They do have the freshest chickens possible
A bat vendor proudly shows off his prize catch
These are not your garden variety rats. They taste just like Kentucky Fried Rabbit.
These charred bats seem frozen in the middle of their final terrifying scream
Vampire bats: the tongues are the best part if you can stomach the site of them
The Pet Section
The dog area was the most difficult part to see.
Mangy dogs packed so tightly in the cage, yelping and struggling to find a spot big enough to sit down. The puppy dogs cowering with long, pleading faces that tug at your heart strings. Their expressions briefly glow when the cage flies open from a new order, but the optimism is short-lived. They know this is the end for them, patiently taking their last breaths. This must’ve been what Nazi gas chambers were like. As they yelp hysterically, they are bludgeoned on the back of the head with a heavy wooden club to crush their skulls. The cages go silent. Many die with the first blow, but some are still twitching minutes later after repeated beatings.
Pre-roasted dogs showing off their good side
Saturdays are extra special because the snake vendors come to town
The Dangers of Bush Meat
Bush meat has long been villainized in western culture as the scapegoat for mankind’s most notorious diseases. The biggest issue is the questionable sourcing animals. Eating here requires a certain degree of trust in the vendors. These vendors don’t know the first thing about the science of food safety. They just know that if they don’t do what they did last week something will go horribly wrong.
Although there is risk in eating bush meat, a line of locals is a positive sign that they are selling reasonably safe food. Their lifelong reputation as a food vendor is tested every day. The entire family business could come crashing down with one small slip-up. Here, food violations are not enforced by the government, but with reputation and the rumor mill.
You don’t easily forget these expressions
The best parts of these dogs have been picked-through, leaving only entrails and the less tasty bits
Fine Dining in Tomohon
If you want to eat the more exotic dishes in Tomohon, you must pick your animals at the market and bring them to the restaurants. Walk around and ask the vendors what makes their rats or vampire bats better — there is a fine art to preparing and selling superior rats. With the hair burned off they are easier to transport and cook– just toss them in the back seat and drive off. It is a funny sight to see families carrying bags of dead animals into a nice restaurant.
This mega bat is letting it all hang out for inspection
Rat on a stick: examine closely to get a good one
Dogs are reserved for special occasions since they are more costly than other animals, so it is less broadly consumed than other animals. My driver loves to eat dogs, explaining that they taste like monkey, but also has several as pets. He sees no contradiction as nobody would dare eat a pet dog. He feels better that these dogs come from Muslim areas where dogs are not kept as pets.
They prefer very spicy meals here, likely to cover up the taste of noxious organs and any unfresh meat.
I did not finish the hot dog platter, so they asked me if I wanted to take it home. I joked that, back in the US, they are called doggie bags because the leftovers are fed to the dogs. Here, it is very different.
Question: These are far from the strangest thing I’ve eaten. Should these make my list of the 10 Weirdest Foods I’ve Eaten?
Paniki: an exotic food dish made with bat, coconut, curry and spices. So good!
Hot dog Indonesian style. Don’t forget a doggie bag for your leftovers.
Bat wings will surprise you. They have a soft, velvety feel like a fine pasta.
Bat penis is pretty foul. It is a thick, chewy skin with a rotten taste and a sticky mouth feel.
What would you do if you found a rat head in your dinner?
Rat Hunting
For the adventurous, you can get up close and personal with your caveman side by rat hunting with locals in the forest. Local guides will show you all of the ins and outs of foraging for your dinner.
Now, if you are feeling squeamish and swearing to a life of vegetarianism after reading that, I completely understand. You should have read the warning.
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About the author: Brad Bernard
Brad Bernard has traveled through 92 countries to find off-the-map experiences and authentic adventure travel. He pushes his own personal boundaries by travelling experimentally. Brad’s personal quest to find the most extreme and unique in travel has bred misadventures and moments of enlightenment alike. You can read his craziest stories on his adventure travel blog
Website: https://plus.google.com/+BradBernard340/
at 12:45 pm
Wow….I was ok, although a tad squeamish reading about the rats and bats etc…but then the dogs. Ohhhhhh, just makes my heart ache. I am all for immersing myself in a culture and like you want to peel back the layers etc….but I think I am going to have to draw the line here. I will be there in 2 weeks and was really looking forward to the market until I came across this article. Ok…I get it. It’s a different culture, a different world…..but when does cruelty become ok? Fine. If they eat dog….they eat dog….but frying it while ALIVE????? As a dog owner and and someone who has volunteered many hours at animal shelters….I won’t be able to stomach this. I am glad I found this article as I may have not been able to “not react” if I stumbled across this in person.
at 5:51 pm
Yeah Mary, I understand. For me, the dogs were beyond reacting- I just stood there speechless. I have a certain affection toward dogs above other animals and that makes detachment very difficult, and I have trouble understanding how they rationalize having dogs as pets as well. To clarify, the dogs are not fried alive. lack of refrigeration necessitates that method with some animals and that is the same reason driving the need to have the slaughter, sale and consumption under one roof. I doubt most Westerners could stomach the site of the slaughter and fortunately we can afford to detach ourselves from how our food gets to our plate.
at 9:02 am
While some of these photos are hard to take in, I am curious to know how they catch the bats? They must be risking a lot because they usually are perched quite high up.
at 12:19 pm
I’m Indonesian and I love Minahasan food for its generous use of chilies. But it stops there as I can’t stomach bat and rat meats. But the hardest thing is seeing those dogs. However I have to admit, you’re a very brave man, Brad!
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at 12:30 pm
The bat was really interesting and quite tasty, but dog is just horrible, and yeah, it’s pretty heart-breaking to see especially when the people around you have no emotional reaction to it.
The rat on the other hand, now that is some good eating!
at 12:26 pm
I haven’t tried bat yet but I definitely would – they look scary but no more than any other animal – cows actually frighten me and I eat them all the time!
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at 12:33 pm
Thanks for reading, Ayngelina. Bats have an extremely unique taste and texture. Despite looking like something out of a zombie movie, they are fruit bats. It’s still one of the scariest-looking things I’ve ever had sitting on a dinner plate.
at 10:14 am
Great timing! Will be in Indonesia in a couple of weeks so definitely going to Sulawesi now. Will go well with the sheep’s brains and random cows organ stew I had in China last month. Keep up the good work
at 7:26 am
Yeah, it is worth checking out. Try to get there Saturday morning before the tourists come. There are no taboos there and what you will see is eye-opening! I do recommend the rat popsicle.
Brad Bernard recently posted…Extreme India Challenge Rickshaw Run: Death Summons Us to the Sacred Ganges
at 11:47 pm
Thanks for the tip. It would be handy if they could do something like a mixed meat kebab skewer to try out a bit of everything in one go.
at 11:55 pm
I think everything comes separately. They have a bunch of restaurants that the guide book says have strange stuff but they all seemed to have the typical things. If you want to try stuff, buy it at the market and bring it to a restaurant. They’ll cook anything for you NO questions asked. The rat and bat are pretty good. The dog is heinous. I didn’t try the snake and they will sometimes have sloth and monkey. Get there too late and all the ‘good bits’ will be already hacked off like a bad Jeffery Dahmer flick. I have a guy who can get anything for you with a few days notice. Let me know.
at 12:05 am
Thanks Brad. Will see when I get there. I don’t want to go too far up the endangered species list but despite what you say about dog I still feel I need to say I tried it
at 9:55 pm
It’s such an interesting post. It’s great to see how different cultures perceive different food. I’m French and I don’t mind eating snails and live oysters, yet most of my countrymen wouldn’t go near dog food or bats or rats !
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at 7:49 am
well. they are not easy pics to look at. Interesting post, I don’t know how you could take all those pics. I once took a pic of 2 goats’ heads in Pakistan. One was all I could bear to take.
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at 9:50 am
It’s certainly different food than other parts of the world. These are just the clean pics. I have so much footage I can’t post or even look at again. It’s too gut-wrenching.
at 5:36 am
I was just checking out commentluv before I convert over from Disqus.
Now, reading this post and your descriptions make me laugh. I somehow don’t think bat wings would resemble a fine pasta.
It’s great that you give it all a try. My husband whom I’ve known since we were both 17 have only had chicken feet at yum chat a handful of times. He’s a white Aussie male. So I’m impressed and grossed out at the same time by your love for this weird food.
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at 8:14 am
Thanks, CommentLuv is amazing! I was completely blown away by the texture of the bat wings, so silly and luxurious, and held the sauce really well. I bet blindfolded, you couldn’t tell the difference.
at 9:16 am
Frankly, I couldn’t stay at the market for long. My heart was melting and I was nearly crying when I saw a man frying up a live dog right in front of me and trowing it on a bloody wooden deck to a few other nearly live dogies growling in agony…
I do realize different cultures and absolutely different and bizarre food traditions, but eating dogs – not my thing for sure.
Wanted to try the bat, but they weren’t cooked that day, so I’ve just opted for fish.
at 11:51 pm
You’re right, the dogs were troubling to see. You have to get the bats from the market and bring them to a restaurant to cook for you.
at 12:01 pm
Wow that really is a wild and weird combination. I’ve been to China and often know what I’ve eaten I think I’m better not knowing.
As Westerners we certainly wouldn’t be comfortable eating dog.
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at 5:06 am
I thought in China they are proud of the type of animal, even bringing it live to your table? That’s how it’s been for me there.
Dog tastes horrible, you’re not missing anything.
at 5:53 am
We tried SO HARD to find bat/rat in restaurants around Tomohon, I had no idea you supposed to just bring in your own!
I’m curious, too, did you ever find monkey? If so, how was it?
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at 5:00 am
Yeah, the only way I knew that nuance was that we stopped by the restaurant in the morning. They’ll cook anything you bring. I definitely recommend both.
They said a monkey will show up in the market every couple months. Sloths are more common. But there is no taboo against eating it there, they’ll pretty much eat whatever comes in on the truck.
at 6:47 am
Cool, if I pass back through that region I’ll be set for a bat feast! Will have to keep an eye out for those monkeys, too, I bet that would add a lot to the photos of the market.
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at 3:47 pm
I couldn’t bear to post most of the photos. It was tough to see. But yeah, try the bat, it’s delish! If you can get over the demonic look on their faces.
at 11:58 pm
wow, what an extreme culinary my bro..i made a post like that in my blog. it’s about the food of Manado, Sulawesi utara.
at 6:47 pm
Interesting post – hard to get through. I love dogs and I can’t imagine. And I know you have one; did he smell it on you? I’ve heard somewhere that they can smell it on you if you’ve eaten one of their own.
But I also see the contradictions and hypocrisy in our culture. Wandering Earl recently had a post where he was eating dog in North Korea and his fans were going crazy, saying they would unsubscribe from his site, etc. People sometimes would rather be blind to things.
Glad to see the post – but I’m eating less and less meat and this makes me want to convert to 100% vegetarian.
Frank (bbqboy)
at 8:45 am
Thanks, Frank.
When I travel, I like to peel back the layers and explore a culture from their eyes. To experiment and to see and experience the good, bad and ugly so I can understand the full picture. I’m just reporting it from their perspective. A few people get bent out of shape, and I can empathize, but they’ve never been there.
Interestingly enough, they also see the dog as man’s best friend, and a clear distinction between that and food chain animals. Kinda the same way we have pet fish and go to seafood restaurants.
I’m not saying eating dog is right, I think it tastes horrible and I do feel bad, just presenting an everyday cultural norm in a faraway society that is very different and how they do things. They would be equally shocked by our desire to remain blissfully ignorant of our food– our “food norm” that reconstituted byproducts with an unintelligible ingredient list come from a plastic tray at the fast food restaurant.
My doggie didn’t say anything about it and it hasn’t changed our relationship. 🙂
at 9:22 am
I am of course repulsed. It’s the fact that in the US dogs are really considered mans best friend and i hurt for the fear they feel. If they want to eat rats…I could care less.
at 12:10 pm
I can empathize. The videos are gut-wrenching. I can’t post those. They also have pet dogs there and interestingly see a huge distinction between a pet and an animal grown for food.
at 1:38 pm
Crazy shizzle, yet eye-opening read.Great post, managed to get through it all- unlike a meal from this market.
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at 8:25 am
Thanks, Alex. Sometimes travel is eye-opening. I love to see how other people live. It’s just a different perspective — They would think its child abuse to send our children to daycare. Nice tarantulas, by the way!
at 3:13 pm
Yes, I watched the Bill Bailey documentary on Wallace and was pretty shocked that a healthy cross section of species end up in the market in Sulawesi destined for one miserable ending or another. And thank you Brad for the compliment! I am very interested in entomology and the Asian arboreal tarantula species, especially from Borneo, Sulawesi,Sumatra and Philippines.
at 10:52 pm
wow, Indonesia have many potential object. Thanks for coming.
at 8:27 pm
I love Indonesia. Such a fascinating place. Such great people.
at 2:38 pm
OMG…I feel nauseous! That post has pushed me back to tofu loving vegetarianism!!
at 8:28 pm
Mmmm… Tofu!
at 9:03 am
This cuisine is ” everyday ” food for those locals. It is only weird to westerners who have a much different diet. I am sure that if the Minhasan people visited New York, London or Paris they would describe the food, especially the junk food like KFC and Macdonalds, eaten there as weird. Its all a matter of perspective.
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at 8:30 pm
Yeah, I know. They would also think it’s child abuse to send children to daycare.
at 8:17 pm
I generally adopt a “when in Rome, do as the Romans do” policy. However, in this case I’ll have to pass. A very interesting post though.
at 8:30 pm
Thanks for reading!
at 3:23 pm
That is some weird food! Much weirder than the stuff I ate in Thailand and China. I had cockroaches, spiders, different kinds of bugs & other stuff. But rat on a stick and bats… The pig head reminds me of a similar picture I took in Cambodia (battambang). At the one I took it looked like the Pig heads were still smiling… bizarre.
Love your site! Just connected on Facebook and I will keep following you!
Cheers Bastiaan