Ingredients
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Fruit bat
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lemongrass
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galangal
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Kaffir leaves
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Lime
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carrotany egetables you like
Directions
Bat soup is eaten in many countries in South-East Asia and Oceania, primarily in Indonesia (North Sulawesi) and the island nation of Palau.
The soup has gotten immense coverage over 2020, when bats were mistakenly linked to the coronavirus outbreak. A film with people eating bat soup in Palau was wrongly labeled as being filmed in Wuhan and that was all that was needed for it to become viral and to start the fake news frenzy.
Bats can transmit many viruses to humans, according to a few scientific reports, but there is no evidence to date that bats or bat soup was responsible for the novel coronavirus.
Going back to food and recipes, there are many bat soup recipes, depending on country and region. Below is a recipe shared with us by an Indonesian chef.
How to Make the Bat Stock :
- The broth of fruit bat soup is made by washing a bat and throwing it in boiling water, fur included!
- Boil the bat stock with lemon grass, galangal, kaffir leaves, and vegetables until it simmers. Diced the bat meat without the bones and put it in until it cooks.
- Season with salt, sugar, and white pepper. And squash lime on top of it to brighten its flavor, yum yum!
- Serve it hot with rice.
Pro tips from our readers:
If your friend asks what soup it is, tell them it’s just fancy aged chicken. Works every time.
Photo credit: anthonioo & Mei-Ling