Cambodia

Cambodia — Day 4: Roadside Snack Cambodian Style — grasshoppers, crickets, and silkworms

Nick Morris

Nick Morris

— 3 min read

Insect snack time

September 2015

On the way back from Mechrey Floating Village, Siem Reap, Cambodia, we stopped at a small roadside stall to try some snacks — specifically, deep-fried grasshoppers, crickets, and silkworms.

I tried all the insects and:

Grasshoppers

Eating them was easy.

I was told to remove the wings (if not already removed), remove the head, hold the legs and bite at the knee joint (the legs were a convenient way to hold the insect — a bit like a cocktail stick in a small sausage).

The grasshoppers were delicious. They were crispy with a nutty taste. They reminded me a bit of pork scratchings.

Deep-fried grasshoppers would make an ideal snack to have with a beer when watching a film or sporting event on the telly. Think of deep-fried grasshoppers as a replacement for popcorn, only with a nutty taste.

Silkworms

With the Silkworms, I was told to eat the whole thing. Pop it in your mouth and chew. I was glad they were deep-fried and not like the Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, also called the Red Palm Weevil or the Sago Worm, I saw in a market in Sibu, Malaysia, that can be eaten alive.

The Silk Worms were OK, but I found them dry and floury.

Crickets

The crickets, unsurprisingly (I guess), were very similar to the grasshoppers but not as tasty. Like the grasshoppers, I had to remove the head and any wings, and I could use the legs as a ‘cocktail stick’.

Photo by Author — deep-fried insects roadside snack — Siem Reap, Cambodia
Photo by Author — deep-fried insects roadside snack — Siem Reap, Cambodia
Photo by Author — frying time — deep-fried insects roadside snack — Siem Reap, Cambodia
Photo by Author — frying time — deep-fried insects roadside snack — Siem Reap, Cambodia
Photo by Author — insects being fried for a roadside snack — Siem Reap, Cambodia
Photo by Author — insects being fried for a roadside snack — Siem Reap, Cambodia

Below is a photograph of deep-fried grasshoppers.

Photo by Author — deep-fried grasshoppers — Siem Reap, Cambodia
Photo by Author — deep-fried grasshoppers — Siem Reap, Cambodia

The image below is of deep-fried Silk Worms.

Photo by Author — deep-fried Silkworms — Siem Reap, Cambodia
Photo by Author — deep-fried Silkworms — Siem Reap, Cambodia
Photo by Author — deep-fried crickets — Siem Reap, Cambodia
Photo by Author — deep-fried crickets — Siem Reap, Cambodia

The deep-fried grasshoppers were a clear winner, and I would eat them again. I thought they made a great snack. And they would be great with a chilled beer.

The deep-fried crickets were OK but not as good as the grasshoppers. Like the grasshoppers, I would eat them again.

The Silkworms I would avoid. I tend not to like food that I describe as ‘dry’ or ‘dusty’, which was what Silkworms were like for me. They had this dry, almost flour-like quality and not much favour.

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