Hey there, fellow freedom-seekers and culinary daredevils! Today, we’re diving fork-first into the wild world of Thai cuisine. Spoiler alert: it’s not all pad thai and mango sticky rice!
Thais are serious foodies and culinary wizards. They whip up dishes from ingredients we can’t even pronounce, let alone imagine eating. Yet, somehow, most Thais stay as slim as a chopstick. And those youthful-looking grandpas and grandmas? Living proof that their diet is doing something right!
But hold onto your stomachs, folks, because here’s where it gets really buggy. The most jaw-dropping (and potentially jaw-crunching) items on Thai markets are the insects. We’re talking fried grasshoppers, locusts, black water beetles, cockroaches, crickets, caterpillars, larvae, and pupae. Basically, if it crawls or flies, there’s a good chance you’ll find it fried and ready to eat!
Now, I know what you’re thinking: “No way am I eating Jiminy Cricket!” Well, confession time – we haven’t mustered up the courage to try these crunchy critters either. But hey, when in Rome… or Bangkok… right?
Stay tuned for our next post, where we’ll be checking out the Big Buddha statue in Pattaya. Hopefully, he’ll forgive us for chickening out on the bug buffet!
Traveler’s Tip: Price for a portion of fried insects: 10-20 baht (roughly the same in rubles). Pro tip: For grasshoppers or locusts, eat the body and ditch the head and wings. You’ll find these “delicacies” all over Thailand.
Got any wild food experiences to share? Drop them in the comments below! And if you’ve actually tried these insect snacks, tell us – does everything really taste like chicken?
Remember, fellow digital nomads, part of our amazing lifestyle is embracing new experiences. So next time you’re faced with a plate of fried bugs, ask yourself: “What would Anthony Bourdain do?” (Spoiler: He’d probably eat them, and so should you!)
