Woman Tries New Fruit in Bali—Horror at What’s Inside: ‘I’m on Antibiotics’

A video about a woman’s culinary adventure in Bali that takes a stomach-turning twist has gone viral on TikTok.

The video shared by Maii (@maiiabdelkhaleq), which shows the woman sampling an exotic fruit at a luxury hotel in Bali, has amassed 3.8 million views since it was posted on July 23.

The video begins with Maii seated at a dining table at what she later described as a five-star hotel restaurant in Bali. She holds up a brownish, scaly fruit known as snake fruit—or salak—to the camera.

“Tried a new fruit in Bali…now I’m on antibiotics,” reads the caption of the post. Moments later, a close-up shows the peeled fruit on a plate, now crawling with tiny white worms.

Also known as salacca, snake fruit is native to Southeast Asia and is popular in Indonesia. The fruit gets its name from its reddish-brown, scale-like skin. Once peeled, it resembles a large garlic clove and contains three lobes of yellow or white pulp encasing hard brown seeds.

“Salak is a good food to add to dishes for flavor, and it also has high nutritional value. The edible parts of the fruit have beneficial amounts of phenolic, flavonoid, and monoterpenoid mixtures that make it a great source of nutrients,” according to a September 2024 article on WebMD, reviewed by Dr. Shruthi N. The article emphasizes its growing global popularity for both flavor and health benefits.

A September 2019 study published in Trends in Food Science & Technology highlighted that salak is “an underexploited edible tropical palm fruit, rich in antioxidants, polyphenols, organic acids and vitamin C.” The study noted that the fruit has shown antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-cholesterol, and anti-diabetic properties, although it also pointed out that these benefits are “not well validated.”

The fruit, a local delicacy in Indonesia, had been recommended by locals along with jackfruit and durian, according to a follow-up video she posted. Maii explained she had developed a fascination with trying exotic fruits during her travels. She spotted the salak at the hotel’s breakfast buffet and decided to record herself tasting it to share with her parents.

‘Started Having a Panic Attack’

“I didn’t properly inspect” the fruit, the woman said in a follow-up clip. It hadn’t crossed her mind to do so, as she was staying at a five-star hotel and she thought “yeah, it’s probably fine.”

In the video, she also mentioned that the fruit’s scent reminded her of apple cider vinegar. Intent on giving her family a full review of its texture and taste, she didn’t notice the infestation until she set the fruit down.

What happened next was distressing. “I immediately started crying, I started having a panic attack” upon spotting the worms, she recalled. She said hotel management and doctors responded quickly, and she was subsequently prescribed antibiotics.

As with any raw food, quality control and storage play a critical role. Although salak is widely consumed without incident, improper storage or contamination can pose health risks, as evidenced by Maii’s experience.

Many TikTok users expressed sympathy for the original poster’s horrifying experience.

Chel blue said: “That is rotten snake fruit. Should not continue to eat when you see blackened. Hope you are okay tho.”

User deel wrote: “babe you can’t eat that, it’s rotten,” and KingKong// also said: “Ohhh love, i’m so sorry you ate that rotten fruit. I hope you are okay!”

User andreeaanna noted: “everyone blaming that she eat a rotten fruit but how can we know if it’s something new for us? so sorry for you.”

Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via TikTok. This video has not been independently verified.