Eating insects in Thailand

According to a recent United Nations report, there are more than 1900 edible insect species on Earth that can be fed into a normal diet for 80 percent of the planet's peoples. Two billion people regularly eat insects ranging from ants to tarantulas, raw, cooked or otherwise prepared.

One of those countries is the Land of Smiles, Thailand.

The "yuck" factor

Due to the "yuck" factor, insects are rarely considered food in the developed world. What most Westerners don't know is that we already consume insects or at least parts of them almost every day. The commodity law and other regulations regarding food in most Western countries do not prohibit the presence of insects in food products, but they do regulate the maximum amount.

In the United States, for example, a package of 200 grams of raisins may contain a maximum of 10 fruit flies. Everyone accidentally ingests an insect sometimes, such as an insect or a larva in the lettuce, a caterpillar in the cauliflower or because a mosquito or a fly flies into the mouth on a bicycle.

Insects are also processed in some dyes. In the production of carmine, for example, the juice from a crushed cohenile aphid is used. We therefore do not eat the scale louse itself, but only use the moisture of the female louse in the processing process. Carmine (acid) is used in the food industry in dozens of products, mainly sweets, and is known as a pigment under E number E120.

Healthy food

In most cases nothing will happen to you from eating insects, on the contrary, in many cases it can contribute to the nutritional value of the food. Eat stir-fry crickets and you have a healthy alternative to other sources of protein, such as fish, chicken, pork and beef. In addition, insects are full of fiber, healthy fats, B-complex vitamins and essential minerals.

One has to overcome one thought, that eating insects
is disgusting. It may help to remember that lobsters, crabs, oysters and mussels were also once considered inferior as “poor people's food” and are now considered delicacies.

Insects in Thailand

The consumption of insects in Thailand is believed to have started in the northeast, the Isan, traditionally the poorest region. Insects are readily available, edible, easy to prepare, cheap and tasty and a popular snack for the Thai.

When the people of Isan moved to the big cities in search of work, the cottage industry of “phàt má-laeng” traveled with them. Now you see the carts everywhere, selling insects, the offer can vary from silkworms to scorpions or from crickets to cockroaches (not the kind you find in the kitchen).

Two favorite edible insects are grown on farms in the North and Northeast. In fact, the cricket and palm weevil larva is an important source of income for many Thai farmers. In 2013, approximately 20.000 farms were engaged – often collectively – in the production of no less than 7.500 tons of the insects for local consumption.

Species of insects

Bamboo worms or “nŏn pài”
The bamboo worm has a higher iron content than most other insects, which is the same or even higher in the same amount of beef. The bamboo worm, also known by the Thai as "rot fai duan" (express train), is said to be tasty and tastes like mushroom-flavored potato chips.

Crickets or "jing reeds"
The cricket is packed with nutrients and is perhaps the most popular fried insect in Thailand for a snack. The Thai will remove the legs and then add a splash of Golden Mountain sauce, a popular commercially made local condiment, and then another pinch of Thai pepper powder. Some enthusiasts claim that crickets taste like popcorn when fried in butter instead of oil.

Giant water beetles or “maeng da na”
Most of these water beetles are farmed in Kalasin and Si Sa Ket provinces. It is the largest of Thailand's fried insects and when steamed, fried or eaten raw, it is rapidly approaching delicacy status. This is partly because it is considered a large piece of "meat", but mainly because of the taste.

After removing the carapace and wings, the insect has the aroma of a green apple. The thorax (chest) has a texture reminiscent of fish. Some say it tastes a bit like "fishy, ​​salty melon combined with banana," and others think of scallops. The abdomen, below the thorax, is described as tasting like scrambled eggs.

Grasshoppers or “dták dtaen”
Before cooking, the intestines and wings must be removed and the rump washed in clean water. Despite the fact that the texture of locusts is "a little spiky," the locusts taste somewhat like "nutty chicken." The animals are further flavored with a little salt, garlic and lemon. In terms of the amount of protein, the locusts are in the lead.

Larvae of palm weevil or “dak dae faa”
Eaten raw or cooked, this soft larva is perhaps Mother Nature's best source of energy. Each caterpillar is packed with protein, potassium and calcium, and more polyunsaturated fatty acids (the good kind) than any poultry or fish. The texture is described as "rich and buttery" or "creamy" and that they taste "like coconut" when eaten raw. After cooking, the taste is said to resemble "sweet bacon".

Silkworm pupae or "dak dae maize"
The silkworm pupa looks a bit puffy and egg-shaped. They are mainly grown in Petchabun province and taste “like peanuts” after cooking. In addition to being rich in protein, silkworm pupae are an excellent source of calcium, B-complex vitamins, magnesium and omega-3 fatty acids.

Spiders or "mama maeng"
Fried spiders are a delicacy adopted by the Thais of Cambodia. It is a species of tarantula with a high content of iron and zinc. The whole spider is eaten and experts say they taste somewhat like crab or lobster.

Scorpions or “maeng bpòng”
Like the spider, the scorpion is not actually an insect but belongs to the arachnid family. It is an important food source in many countries. In Thailand they are boiled or usually fried on a skewer and are said to taste slightly bitter and vaguely fishy. If you're concerned about scorpion venom, fear not as the heat from cooking or baking renders the toxin harmless, so bon appetit!

Source: Brian S. At Pattaya Trader

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