Many people enjoy Thai food worldwide: spicy soups and salads, flavorful rice dishes are abundant. But in Thailand, fried or roasted insects and scorpions are also popular, readily available, and inexpensive.
Insects have traditionally been a rich source of protein, calories, vitamins, and minerals in the Northern Thailand diet. They are also prized as delicacies. In fact, it is unusual to find an insect which is not eaten in one form or another by local people. Among the most popular are:
• cicadas, locusts, mantises, crickets, and grasshoppers which are all deep fried and are rather crunchy;
• bamboo worms, which are also deep fried;
• giant water bugs, which are steamed; they are also ground into a paste with chili and eaten with sticky rice;
• weaver ants (red ants with a painful bite) and their eggs; sticky rice is dipped into a mixture of ants, eggs, and chili;
• dung beetles; which add a wholesome flavor to curries; however, many people will not eat them because they live in and on excrement.
In addition, Thai people will eat
• the pupae of silk moths and other moths and butterflies; you must first remove the pupae from their cocoons, then boil them until soft with a pinch of salt, finally sautée them lightly;
• the larvae of wasps and bees; these are deep-fried;
and arachnids:
• poisonous scorpions, which are grilled;
• giant tarantulas, which are also grilled.
I have not seen other spiders eaten, but I suspect if it moves, it is considered food somewhere.
Also, termites (large white ants) are grilled and their eggs are a delicacy used to make a flavorful soup.
Where I lived in Bangkok, Sukhumvit Soi 4, every night starting around 5:00 PM, there was a street vendor with half a dozen kinds of fried and grilled insects and scorpions; her customers were mainly the bar girls in the area. Every night she was quite busy as the girls consider these insects a tasty snack, and munch on them as frequently as Western people munch on potato chips.
The lady vendor does not speak any English, but will pose with her wares for a photograph if you give her a 20 baht (about 60 cents) tip. And if you're brave, you could always buy a bag of deep fried bamboo worms.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Six Legs in Thai Food
Planning a Holiday From Home
To succeed in the organization of a holiday in Spain, it is important to bear in mind a few tips that would make easier your stay in the Spanish country. Planning a holiday plenty of time in advanced would give you the choice to decide among different possibilities. So it is highly recommended to have the time to make an effective search in Internet, and get a list of quality results.
Numerous websites offer holiday accommodation in Spain, from apartment rentals, villas, to hotels, camping, or youth hostels. But how to know which one is a quality page? Try the first results in your search engine, they are normally good sites. Reading reviews from users, or ask in forums for people´s opinion can help you as well. Once you have decided the type of accommodation, get familiarized with the holiday website and choose the base of your holiday.
Get informed of the area you are going to visit. Travel information portals can provide you with many useful details and resources.
Check a national weather forecast website to get an idea of the temperatures and climate.
Spain is a big country with an extension of 505.000 squared metres. The beauty of Spain deserves a drive around the country, so if you wish to take some days in different towns, consider to arrange a car rental with an expert company.
If you visit Costa Blanca, it is far better to avail yourself of holiday villas and apartments to rent in Costa Blanca. Property management and villa maintenance for your holiday home in Costa Blanca.
