People eating bats.

The mountainous area of Iloilo.

Adobong paniki dish.

Garlic and onions for frying the bats.

Charcoal is used in cooking the bat dish.

A woman cooking adobong paniki dish.

Life in the far reaching mountainous areas of Iloilo is hard. Transportation is not widely accessible and people live a simple life. Due to poverty and scarce sources of food, as in older days, people eat bats to survive. Fruit bats are considered a delicacy. Poi bat and adobong paniki, deep fried bat with soy sauce, is a thrilling comestible for exotic food lovers.

Life in the far reaching mountainous areas of Iloilo is hard. Transportation is not widely accessible and people live a simple life. Due to poverty and scarce sources of food, as in older days, people eat bats to survive. Fruit bats are considered a delicacy. Poi bat and Adobong Paniki, deep fried bat with soy sauce, is a thrilling comestible for exotic food lovers.

A man showing a fruit bat.

Dressed bats ready for cooking the famous adobong paniki (deep fried bats in soy sauce).

Brown sugar and salt as seasoning for the adobong paniki dish.

Igcabuyao, a village in the province of Iloilo in the Philippines, is a three hour car ride from any main city. The terrain is tough, and transportation inaccessible. People often walk several hours to buy food, and frequently live below the poverty line, growing only peanuts to sustain themselves without outside help.
To keep hunger at bay, locals have for generations turned to an unlikely food source: bats. The village of Igcabuyao is located near six major bat caves, an important resource for their survival.

Fruit bats are considered a delicacy in this area.. Poi bat and Adobong Paniki, deep fried bat with soy sauce, are thrilling dishes for exotic food lovers. Today, bats are frequently served as appetizers in wine bars.