Which Insects Are The Most Tasty?

[Thaiquila]

A visiting friend wants to eat the buggies, but I have heard some kinds are more yummy than others.

Which types are the winner bugs, and how do you call them in Thai; conversely, which ones are true culinary nightmares?

Myself, I would rather eat tripe.

[Padkapow Guy]

It would depend on how drunk I was.

My wife's sister like the fried grasshoppers. I tried them once, but they just tasted like grease.

PKG

[britmaveric]

Crickets - tastey

Ants - ok

Won't try much else - asian cockroaches are pretty bad so I am told.

[OlRedEyes]

Crickets - tastey

Ants - ok

Won't try much else - asian cockroaches are pretty bad so I am told. 

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Racist!

[BambinA]

Crickets - tastey

Ants - ok

Won't try much else - asian cockroaches are pretty bad so I am told. 

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Racist!

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will we have a poll /thread as asian cockroaches is more hygien or tidy room ?

[Thetyim]

Fried grasshoppers gets my vote.

In Thai you say Taka-Tan

[Blake7]

grasshoppers etc are ok - go for thin things with thin legs rather than big fat bugs. The grasshoppers taste a bit like twiglets.

When I lived in China we used to eat fried bees which were good and before we went out on the town me and my chums used to eat a plateful of cock. Sometimes dog, goat, bull etc. Some places used to serve a "cock platter" which comprised of a ring of dog cock in the centre, then a ring of larger goat cock and round the outside of the plate the larger bull cock. Apparently it gives you lots of "qi" before you go out.....

[bina]

red ants and eggs, spicy.... like eating caviar issaan style

[suegha]

grasshoppers etc are ok - go for thin things with thin legs rather than big fat bugs. The grasshoppers taste a bit like twiglets.

When I lived in China we used to eat fried bees which were good and before we went out on the town me and my chums used to eat a plateful of cock. Sometimes dog, goat, bull etc. Some places used to serve a "cock platter" which comprised of a ring of dog cock in the centre, then a ring of larger goat cock and round the outside of the plate the larger bull cock. Apparently it gives you lots of "qi" before you go out.....

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What?

[Padkapow Guy]

This should make you hungry

PKG

[penzman]

will we  have a  poll /thread as asian cockroaches  is  more hygien or tidy room ?

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They mostly travel throught the sewer systems...

[sabaijai]

Bamboo grubs, which the Thais call rot duan, 'express train'. Because they have no shells to deal with.

[trt]

fried grasshoppers get my vote.. they are actually quite tasty

they get my

[Jaffy]

The first time I was introduced bugs was after a night of drinking with my fellow thai teachers. I tried grasshoppers, some sort of beetle & the (in)famous bamboo grub.

The first one I tried was a grasshoppers, which I popped in my mouth whole to roars of laughter from my companions & other bystanders. They were laughing cos you're meant to peel off the legs & shells. Of course, nobody told me this & i had to drink 3 beers & eat sticky rice to get rid of the carcass which had attached itself to the inside of my throat!!! Not a pleasant experience!!! The taste however, wasn't that bad, resembling cheese & onion flava crisps also with a crunchy texture.

I'd have to be drunk to try 'em again but I am sure that can be arranged !!!! hic!

[dantilley]

This should make you hungry

PKG

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Very cheerful looking stall owner too!

Grasshoppers are my favourites, especially the smaller ones. Mole Crickets are also pretty good but get a bit much after a while.

[Padkapow Guy]

The vendor told my wife that most farangs just take pictures of the bugs and do not buy them, So I gave her 20 baht for the pic and then she smiled.

PKG

[Spit the Dog]

I would say grasshoppers too. They seem to taste good after a couple of beers. Just like eating a bag of pork scrathons.

Edited January 3, 2006 by Spit the Dog

[Spit the Dog]

This should make you hungry

PKG

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Very cheerful looking stall owner too!

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And here was me thinking that Thailand was the Land of Smiles

[tom yum goong]

definitely bamboo grubs.

eat them with beer and after a while its just like eating french fries. they don't taste of much either, so very easy to stomach.

[dantilley]

I would say grasshoppers too. They seem to taste good after a couple of beers. Just like eating a bag of pork scrathons.

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Yeah, very good beer food. The big ones can be annoying though as the long spiky legs can get caught between your teeth.

[chanchao]

> Bamboo grubs, which the Thais call rot duan, 'express train'.

I third the motion.

Some places actually server them with tomato ketchup, making them pretty much EXACTLY like french fries. Chances are in a dimly lit environement people wouldn't even notice the difference.

I recently discovered what the deal is with Malaeng Da (water beetles, the ones that look like (but definitely aren't) cockroaches: You eat the eggs! Which are honestly very, very nice. The only thing is you have to be drunk enough to be able to manage removing the wings, breaking them in half and suck out the bottom part of their body.

Visually though, nothing results in better pictures than scorpion.

(http://2.srv.fotopages.com/2/1405068/Crunchy.jpg)

[Norman d'Plume]

Scorpions are good. Little bit acid but interesting flavour. Pull off the legs first. Bamboo grubs taste like rolls of rice paper. No real flavour at all.

Was once served a small, black cake of tiny flies. It shimmed in the light from their little wings. Interesting chewy flavout and okay to eat. Have only seen them the once, in Ayudhaya, about fourty years ago but those would get my vote.

[dantilley]

Was once served a small, black cake of tiny flies. It shimmed in the light from their little wings. Interesting chewy flavout and okay to eat. Have only seen them the once, in Ayudhaya, about fourty years ago but those would get my vote.

Now THAT is taking things too far!!!

[blue eyes]

I would say grasshoppers too. They seem to taste good after a couple of beers. Just like eating a bag of pork scrathons.

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Yeah, very good beer food. The big ones can be annoying though as the long spiky legs can get caught between your teeth.

Oh Gosh,

I love them fresh fried with a beer Chang.But most people will pull of the legs before eating.FUI

[bdmike]

When I stay with my girlfriend outside of Nong Bua Lamphu (in Issan) I have the opportunity to try many bugs. I really enjoy the salad made from red ant eggs (kai mot daeng), and also the dishes made from the adult red ants (mot daeng). Collecting the ants and their eggs is another story. I was brought out to the trees where the nests are located ( maybe 10-15 feet up in trees) The "tool" used to "harvest" these critters consists of a small bag on the end of a long pole. The harvester takes the pole and sticks the sharpened end into the nest and shakes like mad, trying to get as many of the ants and eggs into the small bag. It begins raining red ants (who are really pi$$ed off) and bite like a mother. The bag is then lowered and the whole harvest is quickly put into a bucket of water where the ants can not escape due to the water. Remember to stay FAR away if you ever go to harvest these critters, as they really are scattered around during the "harvest".

Cricket collecting takes place at night where you go out to the farm and search around debris for the little fellows and put them into an empty whiskey bottle to prevent them from jumping out to their freedom. Stir fried crickets are also quite tasty too.

Another bug that I was able to try was silk worms. I visited a small silk farm in the village and the owner offered me one of the critters from the hot water where the silk was being spun from. It wasn't too bad, but to be nice I said that it was "saep, saep" (delicious). That night along comes the silk farm owner with three different dishes containing these plump worms. Not my favorite.

I tried other bugs also which were not to my liking, but the rice patty beetles (Malaeng Da)are definately a keeper. I don't look at them asian cockroaches, but more like rice patty crawdads since you need to suck out the edible portions much like you do crawdad heads.

Grasshoppers are also pretty good. I try anything once....or twice.

[kyselak]

Grass Hoppers with a chocolate coating: student writes insect cooking book

Wernigerode (dpa)- Grasshoppers in chili sauce, cicadas with a chocolate coating or deep fried silk worms. Who still has some appatite now should pay a visit to insect cook Ingo Fritzsche. After coming back from a trip to Thailand the student from Wernigerode has turned into a specialist in preparing exotic dishes.

He has published his knowledge in the book: "The Insect Cookbook - the slightly different taste". "Insects have a high percentage of fatty acids and trace elements" said the 33-year old on Tuesday.

He had the idea for this book after a trip to Thailand. During lectures about his impressions he wanted to convey some knowledge about environmental problems in Thailand but the interest in pictures of prepared insects had been much stronger. Still now he is regularly invited to present his chef qualities.

"Before I start 80 percent of the spectators say they would never touch it, afterwards a lot of them do dare to try", says Fritzsche.

[Kathe]

How can one be sure that those insects have no DDT ? I have never ate any insect but as I was young I used to try a couple of times Khai Maengdaa...dont know in english, taste yummy but Maengda has very strong smell . I have been away for so long from Thailand , and found out that the last 10 years we have lots of insects grill to serve tourist attraction. Thailand trying to do everything to bring tourist in town. Smile smile..... next recipe might be..... Khai farang ping...hehehe...

[blue eyes]

How can one be sure that those insects have no DDT ? I have never ate any insect but as I was young I used to try a couple of times Khai Maengdaa...dont know in english, taste yummy but Maengda has very strong smell . I have been away for so long from Thailand , and found out that the last 10 years we have lots of insects grill to serve tourist attraction. Thailand trying to do everything to bring tourist in town. Smile smile..... next recipe might be..... Khai farang ping...hehehe...

I do not buy from venders because I do not think they taste good to wit OLD or greasy.When we or friends have them it is because we have caght them our self in the paddys with traps.So no DDT here.But from venders you never know.How do they get so many of them?

[suegha]

How can one be sure that those insects have no DDT ? I have never ate any insect but as I was young I used to try a couple of times Khai Maengdaa...dont know in english, taste yummy but Maengda has very strong smell . I have been away for so long from Thailand , and found out that the last 10 years we have lots of insects grill to serve tourist attraction. Thailand trying to do everything to bring tourist in town. Smile smile..... next recipe might be..... Khai farang ping...hehehe...

I do not buy from venders because I do not think they taste good to wit OLD or greasy.When we or friends have them it is because we have caght them our self in the paddys with traps.So no DDT here.But from venders you never know.How do they get so many of them?

That's a good question, how do they get so many???

[otherstuff1957]

I'll agree with the majority opinion here - the smaller grasshoppers are the best. They're a bit salty, so I usually wash them down with a cold beer.

I've eaten some really tasty crickets upcountry, but they just don't seen to taste as good here in Bangkok. Maybe they aren't fresh enough.

For your first bug eating experience, look for a popular cart with a high turnover. The bugs should be more freshly cooked, which will definitely make them tastier.