in Jakarta, where the Obamas lived with their Indonesian stepfather, Lolo Soetoro, dog meat is illegal. In majority Muslim Indonesia, eating dog is forbidden among most ethnic groups in the islands, though a small black market is said to exist for those looking for it.

The only exception are the Batak people, principally of Northern Sumatra, who eat it on holidays–but Obama’s stepfather, who was raised in West Java, isn’t a part of that ethnic group. Besides, the Obamas lived hundreds of miles and several islands away.

A diplomatic source close to the Indonesian delegation in the U.S. confirms that while dog is sometimes eaten in Indonesia, it is done so very rarely. “Obama had to go hunting for dog meat,”