Tarrare, sometimes spelt Tarar, was a French showman, soldier, and spy noted for his unusual appetite and eating habits. Able to eat vast amounts of meat, he was constantly hungry. His parents could not provide for him and he was turned out of the family home as a teenager. He travelled around France in the company of a band of prostitutes and thieves before becoming the warm-up act for a travelling charlatan. In this act, he swallowed corks, stones, live animals, and a whole basketful of apples. He then took this act to Paris, where he worked as a street performer.