Australia’s Oldest Man Says This ‘Delicious’ Food Is His Secret to Longevity

Free range chickens outdoors in early morning light on an organic farm.

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Australia’s oldest man says his secret to longevity is chicken brains.

Dexter Kruger is 111 years and 124 days old as of Monday. That record makes him one day older than Australia’s previous oldest man, World War I veteran Jack Lockett, who died in 2002.

To commemorate his life, Kruger entertained interviewers and let the rest of the world in on his lifestyle secrets.

“You know, chickens have a head,” Kruger told The Associated Press. “And in there, there’s a brain. And they are delicious little things. There’s only one little bite.”

Kruger is a retired cattle rancher who now lives in a nursing home and loves to write. He has written 12 books and is working on his autobiography, according to Queensland Country Life.

Earlier this year, when he was celebrating his 111th birthday, Kruger also detailed another important aspect of his diet, telling local news that he eats “six prawns every day.” But Kruger didn’t think his longevity was any sort of achievement. “It’s nothing special I just lived, I didn’t die,” he said.

Staff at the nursing home where Kruger lives attested that Kruger is living fully for his 111 years, saying that he is “probably one of the sharpest residents” there.

“His memory is amazing for a 111-year-old,” Melanie Calvert, the nursing home manager, told The AP.

To commemorate his new status as Australia’s oldest man, the nursing home threw Kruger a party, where he read some of his poetry.

Kruger’s 74-year-old son Greg credits his dad’s longevity to his simple Outback lifestyle. He lived on a cattle ranch in Australia’s Maranoa region until his mid-90s.

Kruger still has a few years to go if he wants to become Australia’s longest-living person ever. A woman named Christina Cook lived to be 114 years and 148 days old. She died in 2002.

Cailey Rizzo is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure, currently based in Brooklyn. You can find her on Twitter, Instagram, or at caileyrizzo.com.