Nature Power

[Joel Barlow]

As cool season turns to dry season (usually about the time of the Papaya rains, mid-February), it’s time to gather and eat red-ant eggs (and the sour tasting queens!). With a bag or bucket and long bamboo pole, one can plunder the leafy nests, which at this time are not well hidden, up in the trees. The red ants are a pest – although they don’t come into houses, they do aggressively bite. They once drove away a hive of bees living in an awning above one of my windows (bee hives in house walls are considered by Thais to be great good luck). As the red ants plundered the bees’ honey, the bees moved away! Like bee royal jelly (nom pung), red ant eggs (khai mot daeng) are considered good for sexual energy. A great Valentine’s Day treat!! Just cover the ants with white flour, or drown them. The eggs are fine with rice or in (chicken egg) omelets, or even eaten fresh and raw. They may pop when cooking, though – like popcorn!

ChiangMai Royal Jelly is sold at the airport - a bee-keeper told me, though, that after 5 days of usage, it will cause insomnia! I did find myself awakening at 4 a.m., so believe, but find here an explanation for eager monks I saw purchasing it in ChiangMai!

[tracker]

interesting... this season is the only time one can do this? or is it just easy to find nests around this time?

[sceadugenga]

Papaya rains?

[Joel Barlow]

This morning, about 9:30 to 10, it sprinkled. That's a Papaya Rain!

too bad it's been so dry for 4 months - we could really use more.

I am not an entomologist or whatver insect-studiers are called, and don't know all about their cycles.

Eggs are now plump though, and nests easy to see, and this is when locals go looking for the nests to get some eggs to eat (and reduce the biting ant population!).

Careful cooking them - when the eggs pop, hot grease can splatter and burn skin.

bee boxes are being relocated to moister areas its so dry - I have a spigot which drips (outside), and the bees swarm around there now... Maybe if it rains more there will be more and better honey (and royal jelly - nom pung instead of nam pung - bee milk not bee water).

If it doesn't rain in the next week, we may get none until April (and I'm not including artificial rain, which is much more sure. ral rains start in May)

[sceadugenga]

Very dry here at Hoysan, a little cloud early but not as much as spit of rain. Higher up they get some, I was up the Khun Korn Falls on Friday and it looked damp.

[brahmburgers]

I found seaweed treat. The woman fries strips of seaweed that have been partially dipped in sesame batter. To find her: If you know the alley that leads to the big day market which has nothing but Indian garment shops on each side: go down the alley about 100 feet and she's on the left. plus, she's a very pleasant person.

[Goshawk]

Ahh.. the rain bringeth the mushroom

the legendary soma.. flesh of the gods.. opener of eyes.. hurtling down tubes of vivid magnifisence.. .. .. ..

shitake's are ok aswell

[sceadugenga]

Ahh.. the rain bringeth the mushroom

the legendary soma.. flesh of the gods.. opener of eyes.. hurtling down tubes of vivid magnifisence.. .. .. ..

shitake's are ok aswell

And the highly skilled gatherers call on generations of knowledge to select the edible specimens.

Half the bloody village ended up in hospital last year.