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Cannibalism is both a taboo and a grim reality. People resort to consuming human flesh for various reasons, including religion, vengeance, hunger, and even artistic expression. The methods for preparing human flesh are as diverse as the motivations behind this forbidden act. WARNING: Some of the details in this list may be deeply unsettling.
10. A Flavor of Tlatelcomila
Bones stained with red and yellow from a 2,500-year-old site in Tlatelcomila, located outside Mexico City, confirm that pre-classic Mexico practiced cannibalism. But it’s not just the evidence of cannibalism that has intrigued experts—it’s also how the victims were cooked. The distinctive coloring of the bones led researchers to uncover an ancient recipe for preparing human flesh.
Some of the victims were boiled, while others were grilled. Their flesh was marinated with indigenous chilies and annatto, seeds from the achiote tree, which continue to be used in Latin American cuisine. The yellow-stained bones had been boiled for a long time with annatto, while the red-stained bones were cooked at higher temperatures. Experts even replicated the process by boiling cow bones to recreate the same hues. Cannibalism, however, is not confined to ancient history—recent reports suggest that members of the Knights Templar Cartel have been initiating new recruits by forcing them to eat the hearts of children.
9. Deep-Fried Genitals
[WARNING: A web search for Mao Sugiyama will show images of the meal he prepared – strongly advised not to look.] In 2012, Japanese chef Mao Sugiyama served his own genitalia to five adventurous diners. A self-identified asexual, Sugiyama had elective genital surgery right after his 22nd birthday. He then cooked his penis, scrotum, and testicles, paired with button mushrooms and parsley. Sugiyama announced the event on Twitter. The cost was $250 per plate, and while six guests initially signed up, only five showed up. A crowd gathered to witness the bizarre event, while the overflow guests were served crocodile-based dishes, with the five diners having the main course.
The event sparked a wave of intrigue and outrage. Many were horrified and alerted authorities. Interestingly, cannibalism is not illegal in Japan. Given that Sugiyama’s act was voluntary, the police had no legal grounds to intervene. The consumption of genitals has a long history; testicles, considered a delicacy in various cultures, are often prepared in dishes. Lamb testicles are particularly sought after, often battered in eggs and crumbs. The classic “rocky mountain oyster” is fried, much like Sugiyama’s dish.
8. The Cannibal Cookbook
Human minced meat mango tartare. Human tenderloin with cider. These are a few of the recipes found in “To Eat or Be Eaten – A Guide to Cannibalism.” Cascos Chamizo’s book includes practical charts for butchering humans, statistics supporting cannibalism, and, naturally, recipes. It also highlights which body parts should be avoided due to lack of nutrition or potential health hazards.
Spanish-born Chamizo is not a cannibal – merely a conceptual artist. His project does not promote man-eating but instead seeks to “explore global issues like resource scarcity, overpopulation, and consumerism.” Cannibalism provokes intense emotional reactions, and Chamizo's recipes engage people on a visceral level. These recipes are based on his experimentation with animal cuts that resemble those from humans. Interestingly, most western countries do not have laws specifically prohibiting the consumption of human meat.
7. Grilled with Pindo Palm
The Guayaki tribe of Peru is well-versed in the practice of eating human flesh. They are endo-cannibals, meaning they consume their own dead rather than hunting enemies for food. Despite this, they are open to the opportunity of eating human flesh. According to them, human meat is sweet, similar to wild hog, and is more tender, with a layer of yellowish fat that sets it apart from other jungle animals.
Their method: grill the human flesh alongside the bud of the pindo palm. When a man is consumed, his penis is boiled and given to a woman. Consuming male genitalia is believed to ensure the birth of a boy. The Guayaki view their eventual consumption by loved ones as an honored ritual. The only way for the Ove, or soul, to ascend to the heavens is through ritual endo-cannibalism. The deceased are said to haunt the living until they are consumed.
6. Human Haggis
In 2013, New York police officer Gilberto Valle was arrested for conspiring to kidnap, torture, and consume female victims. The so-called “Cannibal Cop” had searched for terms like “human meat recipes” and “how to cook a girl.” The investigation to find Valle’s accomplices quickly became a global affair. Dale Bollinger, a nurse from Canterbury, England, was apprehended soon after. Using the alias “MeatMarketMan,” Bollinger admitted to eating multiple women, described the pork-like flavor of human flesh, and even shared a recipe for human haggis using heart and lungs. He apparently favored the taste of feet.
The case of the “Cannibal Cop” raised a curious legal question: can we be convicted for fantasy? Valle contends that he was only sharing stories for the online community known as “vores.” Short for “carnivore,” vore is a widespread fetish. On Dogpile’s list of the top 100 porn search terms, “vore” ranked #85 – just below “small tits” and just above “clown.”
5. Banana Leaves & Hot Rocks
In 2006, Australian journalist Paul Rafaele became the first white man to cross the pacification line into the deep territories of Papua New Guinea’s cannibalistic Korowai Tribe. The Korowai claim they do not eat people – they eat khakhua. These parasitic spirits take over the body of a man – never a woman – and devour their host from within. They must consume the khakhua, just as it consumed the human it inhabited. The Korowai are known for their thirst for revenge.
The Korowai cook their human ‘prey’ similarly to pigs – using leaf ovens and hot river rocks. However, they emphasize that human flesh tastes more like cassowary than pig. The various body parts are wrapped in banana leaves and distributed among the clan. The head is given to the family that killed the khakhua. Everything is eaten except for the hair, nails, and penis. Children are strictly prohibited from participating, as khakhua are too powerful for the young to handle.
4. Roasted Maize Cakes & Rotten Flesh
The Wari’ people of Brazil consume both the flesh of their enemies and their loved ones, but they do not view themselves as cannibals. This tribe, which has long remained isolated from the outside world, considered their interactions with outsiders – or wijam – to be hostile. The Wari’ do not consider wijam people, and they eat the flesh of their deceased as part of elaborate funerary rites that reflect their worldview.
The Wari’ do not take pleasure in eating the flesh of the dead. They allow the body to decay for two to three days before cutting it up and grilling it. Once prepared, the meat is shredded and placed on a woven mat alongside roasted maize cakes. The flesh is eaten using sticks, as touching it with their fingers is considered taboo. The rotting state of the meat enhances its unpleasantness. Occasionally, the bones are ground up and consumed with honey. The Wari’ view the burial of loved ones and allowing them to rot as equally taboo.
3. Cuisine of the Cannibal Islands
In 2003, the Fijians expressed regret for consuming Rev. Thomas Baker. The English missionary remains the only white person to have been eaten in Fiji’s history. Overcome by remorse, the Fijians have long since moved away from this practice. However, their former British colony, once known as the Cannibal Islands, had man-eating as a part of its culture from around 2500 years ago until the late 19th century. People who died naturally were never eaten; only those who were killed made suitable food. While most Fijians traditionally ate with their hands, forks were used for consuming human flesh, as it was believed that touching human meat directly would cause skin diseases.
In his 1883 book ‘Camping Among Cannibals’, Alfred St. Johnston shares his observations of Fijian cannibal cooking methods: the flesh was either baked whole in ovens or chopped up and stored in earthenware pots used for cooking. Specific herbs were often included with the meat, possibly to aid digestion or perhaps as a flavorful stuffing – the exact purpose remains unclear.
2. Human Soup
The Jesuits referred to the Xiximes as “the wildest and most barbarian tribe of the New World.” Though their cannibalism was often dismissed as European bias, recent archaeological findings have unearthed bones confirming that these people from Northern Mexico were indeed man-eaters. The bones, untouched for centuries, were found at 8,530 feet above sea level in Cueva del Maguey, a village nestled into a cliffside cave in Durango’s pine forests.
Missionary reports reveal that the Xiximes had a distinct way of preparing human flesh. The body parts were cooked in pans until the bones were stripped clean, then the meat was placed in a soup with corn and beans. Cannibalism was deeply embedded in their worldview, with life and death cycles tightly intertwined. After the corn harvest, groups of warriors would go hunting for human prey. Solitary individuals were easy targets, and sometimes small forest skirmishes were fought for this purpose.
1. Corpse Curry
In Pakistan’s Bhakkar district, two brothers were taken into custody for exhuming the body of a 24-year-old woman and cooking it into a curry. Farman Ali and Arif Ali were apprehended after the grave of Saira Parveen was found empty just two days after her funeral. Following an investigation, the brothers' residence was searched, where the authorities uncovered the remains of Parveen and the partially consumed body of a four-year-old girl. The brothers were charged with grave desecration and given a sentence.
After serving two years in prison, the brothers were arrested once again. Authorities responded to complaints regarding the foul odor of decaying flesh, leading them back to the brothers' home, where the head of a child was discovered. The brothers confessed to having cooked the child into a curry. Details of their recipe remain unknown. However, it is worth noting that Punjabi cuisine is known for its rich, bold, and flavorful dishes.
