Local Braised Bat Sales Undeterred by the Coronavirus Outbreak
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30 January 2020 11:33 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Some might consider this traditional local dish from Giriharjo Village, District of Gunung Kidul, a tad extreme as it is common to see people here sell braised bat at local food stalls.
Bats have been used for this braised dish, locally known as the process of “bacem”, can be found at Giriharjo’s Panggang sub-district, food joints. The specific type of bat used for this dish is fruit bats locally known as “codot.”
“I have served braised bats (codot bacem) from generation to generation. Many people still buy it,” said a braised bat seller in Giriharjo, Sukarwanti, on Wednesday, January 29.
She explained that braised bat consumers generally believe that the dish is able to cure asthma, diabetes, and abnormal uric acid. This belief, she said, is why sales of braised bat remain undeterred amid the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China, that was once said to have spread do to consuming a local bat dish.
However, she assured that braised bats she cooks are safe for human consumption as she takes pride in the cleaning process prior to frying the bats in high-temperature oil.
“The fruit bats are obtained from local hunters in tegalan near the coastline,” said Sukarwanti who sells the braised bat dish as cheap as Rp15,000 for one large-sized fruit bat.
Asked about the possibility that the coronavirus in Wuhan can be traced to a local bat dish, Sukarwanti argues that it can possibly be caused by an unsanitary way of preparing the meal. A local braised bat consumer, Slamet, also believes that cooking the bats the right way will not cause harm but act as a traditional remedy.
SYAIFULLAH (CONTRIBUTOR)