What Insects to Eat in Bangkok - the Fear Factor Food List

You know, and you have the same experience too - when people ask if I have any dietary restrictions or if there is anything that I don't eat - my instinctive reply is "I eat anything".

oh, really?

On my recent trip to Bangkok, this claim is put to the test once again.

In Bangkok, you don't have to look very hard to stress test your culinary limits.



A mobile street side stall selling bugs - such stalls can be found on most Bangkok sidewalks. Each small bag of fried bugs costs BT20 to BT40 (roughly SGD1 to SGD2).



The mobile stall sells all kinds of fried grubs, reminding me of the kacang putih men that sell all kinds of nuts :-D

I ate one of these.



If I were to eat this blindfolded, I would have guessed that these were crispy fried prawns but with very little meat :-D

I would try this again.

Here are some that I didn't try.



Fried crickets. I was deterred by the black colour.



Fried pupae.



If you prefer bigger, fatter grubs :-D

There are not only flying and crawling bugs, there are even swimming insects.



I didn't try this grilled water bug.



This is a horseshoe crab at a stall in Rod Fai Market. It is not really a crab at all but is more related to scorpions and spiders. It's more like a sea cockroach scavenging the sea beds.



We gawked, wondered and walked away with me giving the excuse that our stomachs are full (which is 110% true) and that we can always try it next time.

But, Seth turned back, "We don't know when is next time".

True also, lah.



The stall holder scraping the horseshoe crab eggs into a large salad bowl.

We had no idea about how the horseshoe crab will be prepared as we speak no Thai. So, we just closed our eyes and ordered one.

At BT400 (SGD16) a pop, it's actually quite a luxury item - it's Seth's treat.



The stall holder splashed various sauces into the large plastic salad bowl with the horseshoe crab roe in it and mixed the contents vigorously.



To my chagrin, the horseshoe crab roe is eaten raw, sashimi style :-p



The horseshoe crab roe looked like round yellow plastic pallets for use with BB guns (toy gun).

The roe is flavourless, quite stiff and chewy like raw flour dough. The flavours came from the sauces thrown into the salad, and it tasted unappetisingly salty and sour.

After a small spoonful each, we promptly surrendered the horseshoe crab roe to the stall holder with the hope that someone else with the appropriate acquired taste will be able to enjoy it.

For me, this is one more story to tell the next time someone asks me "what is the worst tasting thing that you have ever eaten"?

Oh, have you also heard the one about the seal paw? :-p

Ask me about it next time :-D

Date: Jun 2015

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