Fried fruit bats are a common food source in the Pacific Rim and Asia, including Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Guam, due to their low fat content and high protein. They are prepared in a number of ways, cooked with green chilli, or deep fried whole. In Guam, Mariana fruit bats (Pteropus mariannus) are considered a delicacy, while the flying fox bat species was made endangered due to being hunted there. The 1999 version of The Oxford Companion to Food states that the flavour of fruit bats is similar to that of chicken, and that they are “clean animals living exclusively on fruit”. Apparently, the cook of a bat emits a strong odour similar to urine, which can be lessened by adding beer, garlic or chilli.
Yesterday's launch of the 2024 Michelin Guide for France saw 62 restaurants gain stars, bringing the country's total number of starred establishments up to 639.
Douglas Blyde stops and smells the roses at restaurant and florist Stem and Stem in the City of London. Fittingly, he finds dishes "accented in chlorophyll hues", and a "bouquet menu" that "borrows the language of a wine list".
It's official: sommeliers are smarter. A new study investigating brain response to tasting wine found that sommelier training doesn't just refine the palate, but reshapes the brain itself.
Valuable bottles of fine wine have been left languishing in an abandoned hotel, shrouded in dust, since the venue ceased operating during the Covid pandemic.
Yesterday's launch of the 2024 Michelin Guide for France saw 62 restaurants gain stars, bringing the country's total number of starred establishments up to 639.
Douglas Blyde stops and smells the roses at restaurant and florist Stem and Stem in the City of London. Fittingly, he finds dishes "accented in chlorophyll hues", and a "bouquet menu" that "borrows the language of a wine list".
It's official: sommeliers are smarter. A new study investigating brain response to tasting wine found that sommelier training doesn't just refine the palate, but reshapes the brain itself.
Valuable bottles of fine wine have been left languishing in an abandoned hotel, shrouded in dust, since the venue ceased operating during the Covid pandemic.