Savor 'Fried Batman' in East Java town

By Gin Kurniawan and Christianto W

KEDIRI, East Java (JP): What comes to mind when you think of bats? Their appearance is indeed frightening and with their fang- like teeth, these creatures of the night are often associated with the notorious blood-sucking vampire.

Most people cringe at the thought of the fruit-eating bat (cynterus macroglasus enyteris), but not so some residents of Kediri. For these people, the bat has become a source of livelihood, benefiting dozens of bat hunters. Not surprisingly, there is even a restaurant here specializing in fried bat.

Kediri, a famed cigarette manufacturing city and the birthplace of one of the world's multibillionaires, has lately become intoxicated with bat hunting, the result of the rise in the number of restaurants serving the locally nicknamed dish Fried Batman, a name obviously derived from the well-known comic book hero.

The owner of the first Fried Batman foodstall is Tukimin, 44, a resident of Gayam village, Mojoroto subdistrict, Kediri. His restaurant serves hundreds of crisp fried bats to his regular customers, who believe that consuming these mammals have health benefits, such as curing respiratory diseases and enhancing vitality.

"I had a respiratory disorder but it completely disappeared after consuming these bats. But I really don't know how they (my customers) discovered me," he modestly commented about his success in attracting customers, who apparently heard the news of his recovery and began flocking to his stall. While still not sure exactly how all this happened, Tukimin is now a recognized Fried Batman businessman.

The proof of his stall's success, established a year ago, is in the daily sales of no less than 100 fried pieces of bat for Rp 2,000 each.

Realizing that only the fruit-consuming bat, or codot, makes for a mouth-watering dish, Tukimin ensures the catch by hunting the bats himself, something he is good at.

Every night sees him and his colleagues trail up and down fruit plantations, always gazing up at the trees ready to shoot down their intended prey. This method ensures a crisp and salty dish, akin to fried chicken, in contrast to snaring the bats with nets, which results in musty tasting Fried Batman.

Tukimin is not alone in his enterprise. After returning in the early morning, his wife, Suryanti, 40, takes over. The catch is prepared and seasoned with her specially blended spices and condiments.

"The blend of spices and relish I use are actually simple ... similar to that used for frying chicken," Suryanti said.

As Tukimin revealed, there are many who believe in the healing power of bats. Among the diseases thought to be cured by regularly consuming bat are skin diseases and asthma.

A segment of his regular customers are youths hoping to enroll in the military or police academies. "They routinely consume bat prior to the enrollment tests, as it is believed to improve your health," he explained.

The increase in demand has forced Tukimin to buy bats from other hunters for Rp 1,200 each, on the condition that the bats be shot not caught with nets. Hunters now travel to fruit plantations in Blitar, Nganjuk, Ngawi and Tulungagung regencies in search of prey.

There is a daily queue of faithful Fried Batman customers in the narrow alley where Tukimin's foodstall and house are located. "Those routinely consuming bat for curative purposes often have to preorder. On top of that, every month on Friday our stocks sell out after the Mass at the Pohsarang Catholic Church," Tukimin said.

Tukimin certainly could not foresee that his bat-hunting hobby would bear such fruits. Though not a rich man, his current earnings are more than enough to support his family.

"I started out hunting bats solely for my own family's consumption," he said, adding that when someone requested a bat for medicinal purposes he would give them the bat for free.

While munching on his own piece of Fried Batman, he commented: "As these bats consume fruits, we get lots of useful vitamins by eating them. This is actually a recognized treatment from ancient times."

So, believe it or not, a fried bat on your plate is the reality in Kediri today.