Eating Biawak

The Pahang Wildlife Protection and National Parks Department seized 210 live biawak (monitor lizards) kept in nylon bags at Kampung Menchupu an orang asli village near Pekan, last week.

The 210 biawak were worth RM10,500 in total as each lizard fetches between RM30 and RM50 on the black market.

The biawak, of the varanus bengalensis species are protected under the Wildlife Protection Act.


The Biawak is a very common reptile in the jungles and villages in South East Asia.

Biawak curry and deep fried biawak are delicacies at some restaurants in Malaysia. In the Kampungs, when a biawak is caught, it is normally just roasted over the fire and eaten immediately - BBQ Biawak.

Some people claim that biawak meat taste like chicken. The traditional believe that Biawak meat is an aphrodisiac of sorts has caused its demand to soar.

In the Klang Valley, a regular portion of Biawak curry cost between RM15 - RM30.

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