In Cambodia, fried crickets, silkworms and tarantulas are enjoyed as snacks. This culture began in the late 1970s, when food was scarce and people resorted to eating insects to stave off hunger.
Market visitors buying fried tarantulas offered at the Oudongk market. In Cambodia, fried tarantulas in spicy sauce are considered a delicacy. Photos: dpa
“I’ve been selling the bugs here for about one year,” she says. “The spiders are caught in Kampong Thom province. There are locals there who act as brokers and sell them to us... They are very delicious. No chemicals on these!” Tuoch Laat, another vendor who was selling red ants with eggs, said: “On normal days, I buy 2kg or 3kg to sell, but last weekend, I bought 5kg and sold out completely.”
“I don’t like tarantulas so much,” she adds. “The legs are really good... but the body is difficult to eat. It is not easy to swallow.”Before the coronavirus pandemic, the sale of tarantulas, crickets and red ants in upmarket restaurants was taking off in Cambodia. Cambodians have been eating tarantulas and other bugs for decades. The tradition stems from the hardships people endured during the brutal Khmer Rouge years in the late 1970s, when food was scarce and people resorted to eating insects to stave off hunger.
Insects are also generally high in fibre, fat, vitamins and protein, while some Cambodians reportedly say eating tarantulas can help cure respiratory diseases.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Open houses in rural areas give extraordinary impact - Malacca MBSulaiman urges all state agencies to use such events to improve tourism.
Read more »
Open houses in rural areas can have impact on Melaka's tourism plans, says CMALOR GAJAH: State-level open houses held in rural areas can have an extraordinary impact and serve as a platform for the state government to create more tourism products in preparation for Visit Melaka Year 2024.
Read more »
Open houses in rural areas can have impact on Melaka's tourism plans, says CMALOR GAJAH: State-level open houses held in rural areas can have an extraordinary impact and serve as a platform for the state government to create more tourism products in preparation for Visit Melaka Year 2024.
Read more »
Open houses in rural areas give extraordinary impact - Malacca MBSulaiman urges all state agencies to use such events to improve tourism.
Read more »
Cambodian casino fire kills 10, many feared trappedCasinos are a key part of Cambodia's tourism industry.
Read more »
Alarm over deaths of three endangered dolphinsThe WWF said the death of a third healthy dolphin in such a brief period indicated “an increasingly alarming situation.”
Read more »