Which Insects Are The Most Tasty?

[tutsiwarrior]

do they serve the bugs with a side of nam pla, garlic and chiles? I'd be interested to know.

tutsi is down the pub wif his mates...

'hey listen...this is what they do...they deep fry some bugs, see..."what kinda bugs tutsi?" Scorpions!!! ""eeewww, barf, stop it, ye gonna put me off me fish supper!!!". That's not all...when the scorps come out of the fryer they dose them in this sauce that smells like rotten yew know what ( eeewww, eeewww...). Add a handful of chiles and GARLIC and down the hatch...''

Amongst generalised retching and screaming tutsi scoots out the door when the landlord sees that he's done it again...

not many folks like garlic in the UK...

Edited March 16, 2006 by tutsiwarrior

[h5n1]

the small golden grasshoppers (takhatan in issan) are very nice as are the ants (muut). jing leet (cicada?) are a bit gross and so are meng da (waterbugs) -also means 'mafia person'.

scorps are eaten a lot in cambodia as are tarantulas both you have to take shell off first. also, someone mentioned the oil. old bad oil and the bugs are not nearly as tasty.

the really big grasshoppers are gross way too hard. also when you eat them, dont eat the legs, it will save you from picking them out of your teeth later.

to the origianl question: do they serve the bugs with a side of nam pla, garlic and chiles?

yes, seasoned with prik thai, tahkai (pepper/lemon grass) and seasoning.

sebp boh, mak see dah?

ps: they are 'grown' on farms and often collected at night by lights. i used to think ghow clean a protein they are but remembered how much pesticide thais must use :-)

Edited March 21, 2006 by h5n1

[rio666uk]

if you've not tried insects before - the small fried grasshoppers are probably the best to start with - ive actually grown to like them - although there is a big difference between the fresh ones cooked in clean oil at my wifes home than the street vendor stuff in BKK.

once initiated you can move on to all sorts of bugs, beetles and grubs.... Ive yet to try "gee-lor" but before my wife came to england, she would go off into the fields to dig these beetles up on a daily basis.... then when the family and neighbors had a large haul, would cook and eat with sticky rice and salad.

Edited March 21, 2006 by rio666uk

[glenbat]

Im afraid Im a bit of a bug 'virgin', had grasshoppers and helicopters (thats why the thai girls called them?) and couldnt realyl taste anything, but had sunk a fair few Changs beforehand. Never fancied the scorpions, wasnt too keen on putting a poisonous creature in my mouth but the Isaan girls loved them. Oh, and the tiny fried frogs I ate too, they were ok.

Saying that in the UK I've eaten a few wierd dishes around friends, hedgehog, fox, pidgeon etc and I guess to Thai's these are just as strange...

Have just ordered some canned scorpions from a link someone posted on here to show my friends, and maybe try I'm not sure yet

[flyer]

The most eatable for an untrained person are the fried grasshoppers. Unless you know a reliable place where to buy them fried and fresh, you better prepare them yourself to make sure. On street stalls they mostly sell only the big brown hoppers (cheaper) which are less tasty as the 'shell' is hard and has a bad tendency to stick in your troat... A good way to eat them is to separate the head and chest part from the back of the body and eat only the back with the big legs on it. Better is to buy the small green hoppers fresh from a market stall (go to Klongtay market) and prepare them at home. The small green hoppers are soft and tastier and you can eat all of it. After you buy them fresh, wash them in lots of water and drain them well after. Before cooking you should take the hoppers one by one (hire a Thia maid to do that ) and pull the two wings off before they are ready to cook. Also discard any hopper that feels soft between the fingers. This is an old one that is not fresh anymore. After the hoppers are cleaned you fry them shortly on high fire in the wok with a very small quantity of oil (say one teaspoon to make the wok 'wet') . Add some thin crushed hot peppers and garlic in the wok, then the crickets, stir vigourously. After maybe one or two minutes they should be done. You can smell a kind of grilled nut taste when they are cooked. Turn off the fire. Add a little soya sauce and fish sauce if you want extra taste and stir vigorously. Some like them more without seasoning. Try both. Consume the hoppers right after cooking as an apetizer with a well chilled Singha beer. Don't keep them in the ref for next day. It won't keep good. You have really to eat all of them right away ))

Grass hopper : in thai TAKATEN

(Recipe given on behalf of a Belgian cook and restaurant owner)

[DragonQuest]

the bugs in your house:)