Fried Insects in Bangkok

Where to Find Fried Insects?

Considered a local delicacy, albeit in the street-food category, fried insects are sold in push carts wheeled around Bangkok’s streets at night. You will likely find the carts in the following areas:

• Khao San Road
• Banglamphu (near Phra Athit Pier)
• Pahurat (the textile market near Chinatown)
• Pat Pong

What’s on Offer?

Vinai Suvarnaharn, a seven-year veteran vendor of fried insects, arrives at Khao San Road at about 18:00 every day with a push-cart of freshly fried insects. Today’s offer, he says, includes grasshoppers, bamboo worms, silk larvae, crickets, weevils, ant queens and scorpions. The ‘menu’ changes according to the season and availability in the Bangkok market. While silk larvae and crickets are available all year round, scorpions are considered a rare delicacy, as they are not easy to find and require a collaborative effort with suppliers in Isan (northeastern Thailand).

Every evening, Vinai follows the same route, starting off at Khao San Road and ending up in nearby Banglamphu, eventually going home after midnight when the entire cart is sold out. A small crowd of tourists gathering around Vinai’s cart is a common sight, some just taking photographs while many buy a bag full of mixed species just out of curiosityEvery so often, a bar girl or club bouncer will stop by to collect their fill of insects. Tonight, all eyes seem to be on the tray of scorpions, which sell rather like the proverbial hot cakes, perhaps at the rate of one every two minutes.

Upon receiving an order, Vinai skillfully bags the insects, sprinkles them with a dash of special sauce – a closely guarded secret recipe – and a pinch of seasoning pepper. It’s the sauce and combination of herbs that go into each frying pan that distinguish the taste of one vendor’s offering from another.

Not for the Fainted Heart

So, you say, which ones should I try? The answer depends very much on how far you are willing to go. Most of these insects look repulsive enough to turn most people off, leaving only the brave and daring (and very hungry) ones to try. For beginners, the most ‘friendly’ insects are probably the bamboo worms, more commonly known as ‘rod duan’ or express train. Despite how crunchy they look, rod duan are rather mushy, soft and nutty, similar to the silk larvae. Crickets are a bit crunchy with a salty note, while grasshoppers have a bit of everything – sweet, salty, nutty – plus, they are crispy at every bite.

If you are ready for the wildly exotic, go for a mouthful of ant queens, which are served all wrapped up in a betel leaf to counter the sour hint. Scorpions are the ultimate when it comes to rare exotic food, so let’s just say you should try them for yourself.

What Can You Eat?

• Bamboo worms
• Silk larvae
• Ants 
• Crickets
• Scorpions
• Spiders
• Water Bugs (Maeng Da)