Spiders and Crickets

Had a long drive from Phnom Penh to Siam Reap yesterday - about 330km but the roads are very slow so it took a while.

We stopped at a motroway service station (Cambodian equivalent ) for a study in human life. People all over the place. Taxis packed full of loads of people. The vans here are licensed for 10 people but generally carry 30 - 10 on the roof and 20 inside.

Anyway outside the cafe women were walking around carrying the baskets of crispy fried spiders and crickets. There was also a stand selling large LIVE spiders - couldn't face live spiders. The tour guide told us that people put the live spiders in a botle and pour rice wine over them. Over a few months the flavour and power of the spider seeps through into the wine - giving you more power..

So out tour guide bought us a small bags of the crispy spiders and crickets. I was first to taste the spider. Tasted like nothing really as it was only the crispiness that gave it any flavour. Ate it all but the body was a bit chewy. Apparently they are eaten to help with asthma. Wasn't sure about the crickets. You tear of the head and chew the rest. I thought it tasted a bit fishy/shrimpy and too dry. People apparently have them when they are having a 'sesh' in the same way that we have pork scratching.

Last week we had vietnamese dog on the menu. Some farmers breed dogs for this purpose but they never grow to be very big so the meat tasted a bit fatty and there was a lot of bone.

So there you are. You have to try the local foods I guess.

Angkor Wat today which was amazing. Off to 2 more temples tomorrow so will update then.