Eating Bugs in Thailand

So somehow I developed a dream to eat big bugs in Thailand. I think I saw it on a travel program or something and have wanted to try it ever since. The other night after dinner a few friends and I bought 2 large bottles of Chang beer and 3 plastic bags full of different types of bugs; one of grub looking things, one of fat crickets, and one of locusts. The bugs were sold a street vendor on Khao San Road. She drenched the fried insects in soy sauce and sprinkled them with salt. We returned to our guest house, cracked our beers and spread our snacks on the table.

We each grabbed a huge locust from the bag, said cheers across the table and popped them into our mouths. I crunched into the savory little bugger, trying not to gag on the legs touching the back of my throat. I chewed through the exoskeleton and washed it down with a swig of beer.

(Eating Bugs with friends Brittany and Adam in Thailand)

The locusts weren’t half bad. Once you got over the fact that the bug was still intact with face, organs and legs, they seemed like a tasty bar snack. The grub things were a little harder to stomach. I kept calling them “butt worms.” They reminded me of maggots or intestinal worms too much. This summer I had dug up grubs like this doing archaeology. I remembered squishing them in my screen and thinking they looked like alien babies. The crickets were ok, but not as tasty as the locusts. In all, the bag of locusts was almost entirely devoured throughout the night, but the grubs lay mostly untouched. It was an interesting experience. Now I don’t have to try them again, haha.