Locals just can't get enough of delicious ants eggs!

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Locals just can't get enough of delicious ants eggs!


Image: Thairath

SUKHOTHAI:-- It's a once a year delicacy - yummy red ants eggs.

The prized eggs can only be collected in the dry season between March and May and can go for as much as 500 baht a kilo, reports Thairath.

Reporters investigating the business went to see how they were collected and prepared in a village in the Sawankhalok district of the northern province of Sukhothai on Thursday.

There they met an ant expert Prathip Rungreuang, 44, otherwise known as Pa Jan. He uses a six metre long bamboo pole with a plastic bag on the end lined with flour to prod at the nests in mango trees.

The ants and the eggs fall into the traps then are separated on a tray with the ants allowed to return to the trees to make more nests.

The eggs are made into a curry and often used instead of chopped pork in omelettes. But the most famous dish that people just can't get enough of is 'Yam Khai Mot Daeng' or red ants eggs prepared in a spicy salad style.

The eggs are mixed with red onions, regular onions, spring onions, coriander, hot chillies, and chopped together. Then they are flavoured with fish sauce, lime juice and sugar to give the three flavours the dish is famous for, salty sour and sweet.

Pa Jan manages to collect between half a kilo and a full kilo of eggs per day giving him a good extra earner during the dry season.

And giving the locals some delicious food too!

Source: Thairath

-- 2016-05-06

[DrTuner]

Yeah, they're yummy.

[bra]

Mrs Bra has been enjoying these ant eggs the last few days in Isan. Unfortunately I am in Australia now and have to put up with pie floaters at the footy.

[loong]

I've never understood the appeal of the ants eggs.

I have eaten them and they seem absolutely tasteless.

When they're prepared, the only flavour comes from what is added to them.

My belief is that Thais only like them because they are expensive.

Rather like Thai beef which they cook till it's almost cremated, tasty because it's expensive

[BobTH]

I have eaten the ant eggs soup, maybe it was just everything else in it that made it good but I really liked it. It kind of reminded me of Campbells Beef Barley Soup.

[Emster23]

My consumer behavior marketing prof at uni made statement that stuck with me "All tastes are acquired". He also said having hard time with liver. Lots of us farangs like rotten milk (cheese). If you lay off beef for a bit, it too can taste a bit odd.

[little mary sunshine]

I'll pass!

[bannork]

Saep with the right ingredients,

[Thian]

I've never understood the appeal of the ants eggs.

I have eaten them and they seem absolutely tasteless.

When they're prepared, the only flavour comes from what is added to them.

My belief is that Thais only like them because they are expensive.

Rather like Thai beef which they cook till it's almost cremated, tasty because it's expensive

I thought they tasted like lime or lemon? Are these the same anteggs the aboriginals eat?

If you're tired of thai beef buy frozen duckfillets at the makro, better than beef.

[loong]

I've never understood the appeal of the ants eggs.

I have eaten them and they seem absolutely tasteless.

When they're prepared, the only flavour comes from what is added to them.

My belief is that Thais only like them because they are expensive.

Rather like Thai beef which they cook till it's almost cremated, tasty because it's expensive

I thought they tasted like lime or lemon? Are these the same anteggs the aboriginals eat?

If you're tired of thai beef buy frozen duckfillets at the makro, better than beef.

The lime/lemon flavour is from the ants themselves. Sometimes some ants are left in with the eggs for the flavour.

[biplanebluey]

Yeah, they're yummy.

QUOTE;------ "mixed with Onions,Red onions,Spring Onions,Coriander,Hot Chillies,Fish Sauce,Lime Juice,and Sugar."

And in there somewhere is some ants eggs at Bt500/Kilo.Those eggs must taste delicious

Just a thought really but----- what would that lot taste like without the ant-eggs ????????????

And what would be the cost without the Bt500 /kilo??????? UNBELIEVABLE

[DrTuner]

For somebody living in Isaan all they cost is a bit of time and a few bites.

[Docno]

My gf makes a wicked good ant egg salad. Brought a Singapore friend up for a visit at songkran last month and he really got into it, thought I suspect the several preceding whisky+sodas had weakened his defenses (or judgement). He was, however, a little shocked when a live winged ant emerged from the main bowl seeming none the worse for wear...

[oldsailor35]

Mrs Bra has been enjoying these ant eggs the last few days in Isan. Unfortunately I am in Australia now and have to put up with pie floaters at the footy.

You poor soul. Try flooding your pie with fish sauce, Thai's love the taste of it, and apparently the awful smell.

[oldsailor35]

I've never understood the appeal of the ants eggs.

I have eaten them and they seem absolutely tasteless.

When they're prepared, the only flavour comes from what is added to them.

My belief is that Thais only like them because they are expensive.

Rather like Thai beef which they cook till it's almost cremated, tasty because it's expensive

I thought they tasted like lime or lemon? Are these the same anteggs the aboriginals eat?

If you're tired of thai beef buy frozen duckfillets at the makro, better than beef.

Sounds good but how are they cooked

[Scouse Twoccer]

Lots of us farangs like rotten milk (cheese).

You obviously don't know what cheese is, it's certainly not "rotten milk", neither is it made from it.

[Carlos Primeros]

So what do you think cheese is made of then?

[Prbkk]

This kind of food kept many POWs alive during the war. Quite nutritious.

[Thian]

So what do you think cheese is made of then?

Cheese is made of fresh milk, google for videos.

[Thian]

I've never understood the appeal of the ants eggs.

I have eaten them and they seem absolutely tasteless.

When they're prepared, the only flavour comes from what is added to them.

My belief is that Thais only like them because they are expensive.

Rather like Thai beef which they cook till it's almost cremated, tasty because it's expensive

I thought they tasted like lime or lemon? Are these the same anteggs the aboriginals eat?

If you're tired of thai beef buy frozen duckfillets at the makro, better than beef.

Sounds good but how are they cooked

Duckfillet you score the skin with a sharp knife. Then pepper and salt and fry in a pan on the skinside first. The skin will become crispy and you can eat it medium or well done.

[Suradit69]

Yeah, they're yummy.

Locals just can't get enough of delicious ants eggs!

I guess that makes me a local. A Thai friend has brought them 3 or 4 times in the past couple of weeks and I love them too.

[Suradit69]

Mrs Bra has been enjoying these ant eggs the last few days in Isan. Unfortunately I am in Australia now and have to put up with pie floaters at the footy.

You poor soul. Try flooding your pie with fish sauce, Thai's love the taste of it, and apparently the awful smell.

Nothing wrong with nam pla or prik nam pla. I've never seen a Thai "flood" anything with it, so that may be the problem if you've been doing that. A lot of overly delicate farang can't handle durian either.

I guess they're hooked on McDonald's or things like deep-fried twinkies, spotted dick and toad it the hole.

[DogNo1]

Kind of like caviar, isn't it. I've made many good meals from salmon eggs bought on the cheap at Ameyokocho, which used to be the old blackmarket area in Tokyo. Rice, salmon eggs, tofu and wakame (seaweed) cooked in a miso broth. A great cold weather meal!

[arunsakda]

Ant eggs, only insect tucker I enjoy.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[macksview]

i like the eggs, good eating.

like most of the insects they sell.

river turtle, dtoon are off limits.

[geriatrickid]

I have eaten the ant eggs soup, maybe it was just everything else in it that made it good but I really liked it. It kind of reminded me of Campbells Beef Barley Soup.

Except, the Campbell's soup, notorious for exceptionally high sodium levels, most likely had less sodium, sugar, trans and saturated fat, and contaminants than the Thai soup you consumed. Campbell's at least has hygiene and quality standards, something which I believe the Thai domestic food and hospitality industry could learn from.

[Melyn]

Isaan caviar.

Gaeng Lao kai mot deang is one of my favourites

[chowny77]

They can come to my house as those nasty red ant B*^%$rds keep making nests and I am sick to death of them. Evil little S#@ts.

[ggt]

Ant gonna happen...

[LawrenceChee]

Ate them and they are pretty tasteless ....