Amazing Thailand No 6 – Asian Insects

… An occasional series…

Welcome back to Amazing Thailand, the land of smiles, although you might be hard pressed to manage a grin if any of these little critters turned up on your plate!

Yes, that’s right. This time, it’s the turn of Asian insects to feature under the Amazing Thailand spotlight.

Thailand is full of weird and wonderful six-legged creatures. Some of them, like Rhinoceros Beetles and the Oleander Hawk-moth are quite impressive, although the latter does do a very good job of destroying my Busy Lizzie plants, during its larval (caterpillar) stage! Others are merely annoying, such as the ubiquitous cockroaches that scurry around the streets at night. And then there are the edible ones…

Not content with having a plethora of the wee, exoskeleton-wearing beasties running around in the jungle, or living under the house, the Thais have gone a step further and invited them into the kitchen or to be more precise, into their cooking pots.

Ugh, you might say, but the insect protein market is big business in Thailand and Asian insects should fear for their fleeting lives, as they are consumed in ever greater numbers each year. In case you don’t believe me, below is a selection of edible Asian insects that are on sale at my local supermarket, all pre-packaged and frozen for your convenience.

Definitely not for the faint-hearted, enjoy them if you dare!

 

Asian insects - Bag of Sa Gu Larvae - Rob Gregory Author

Mmm, a lovely bag of frozen Sa Gu worms for dinner tonight.

 

Asian insects. Close up of Sa Gu Worms - Rob Gregory Author

Just in case you wondered what Sa Gu worms looked like in close up!

 

Asian insects - Frozen Bamboo Caterpillars - Rob Gregory Author

Frozen Bamboo caterpillar anyone?

 

Asian insects - Frozen crickets - Rob Gregory Author

Frozen cricket or frozen house cricket, the choice is yours.

 

Asian insects - Silkworm pupae - Rob Gregory Author

Silkworm pupae. Treat your innards to some silk!

 

Asian insects - Silkworm pupae and frozen house crickets - Rob Gregory Author

Silkworm pupae and house crickets, a perfect combination for any dinner.

 

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Stay tuned for more Amazing Thailand soon… hopefully Asian insect free!