Fruit bat stewed with island cabbage and coconut cream, gamey and dark-fleshed. It is hunted in fruiting trees at dusk on several islands and cooked whole, and it is regarded as a customary delicacy rather than everyday food.
Pteropus bats are reservoirs for Nipah, Hendra and lyssaviruses and butchering is the documented spillover route; many species are CITES-listed, and consumption is epidemiologically linked to the Guam ALS-PDC cluster. The atlas documents the practice; it does not carry instructions for it.
What goes into it
- flying fox — Pteropus fruit bat
- island cabbage
- coconut cream
- onion and chilli
How it is made
The bat is taken at dusk in a fruiting tree, singed to remove the fur, gutted and cut up or cooked whole, then stewed at length with coconut cream and greens until the meat softens. Almost everything is used, and the cooking is long because the meat is tough.
How long it takes: hours of stewing
How it is eaten
In a coconut stew with island cabbage and root vegetables, at feasts.
History
Hunted in fruiting trees at dusk on several islands and cooked whole; the meat is regarded as a customary delicacy rather than everyday food.
Frequently asked questions
What is Flying Fox?
Flying Fox is a main from Vanuatu: fruit bat stewed with island cabbage and coconut cream, gamey and dark-fleshed. Hunted in fruiting trees at dusk on several islands and cooked whole; the meat is regarded as a customary delicacy rather than everyday food.
How is Flying Fox made?
The bat is taken at dusk in a fruiting tree, singed to remove the fur, gutted and cut up or cooked whole, then stewed at length with coconut cream and greens until the meat softens. Almost everything is used, and the cooking is long because the meat is tough. It takes hours of stewing.
Can I make Flying Fox at home?
No, and the atlas gives no method for it. Pteropus bats are reservoirs for Nipah, Hendra and lyssaviruses and butchering is the documented spillover route; many species are CITES-listed, and consumption is epidemiologically linked to the Guam ALS-PDC cluster. The atlas documents the practice; it does not carry instructions for it.
What goes into Flying Fox?
Flying fox — Pteropus fruit bat, island cabbage, coconut cream, onion and chilli.
How is Flying Fox eaten?
In a coconut stew with island cabbage and root vegetables, at feasts.
