Monkey Brains (cuisine)

Monkey Brains (cuisine)

Monkey brain is a controversial foodstuff, often attributed to the Chinese, but also found in certain other countries. The practice of eating monkey brains has led to over-hunting in Indonesia, especially due to the belief that eating the monkeys' brain can cure impotence.

In Western popular culture, the consumption of monkey brains is repeatedly portrayed and debated, often in the context of portraying exotic cultures as exceptionally cruel, callous and strange. It is often portrayed as follows:

• the brain is eaten cooked.
• the brain is eaten raw (occasionally directly out of the dead monkey's skull).
• the brain is eaten fresh, spooned out of the skull while the monkey is still alive.