Coffee Shop Talk: Wonderfully Weird Food from Asia

If planet Earth faces a shortage of regular food and meats, it is probably the time that little-heard Asian food will save the day and become the staple of the future. Do you know that those critters with bug-eyes and too-many-legs could become delectable cuisines? A note though - after researching countless creepy crawlies for this topic, I am convinced that Asians have a certain rebellious streak against that well-meant and reasonable warning – don’t put that in your mouth.

What …did I just Eat?

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Bee Larvae, Thailand

A healthy food source?

Thailand fried bee larvae

Take Thailand for example. For the Thai people, bee larvae are their definition of nutritious, protein-rich food. Deep-fried and salted, these roadside dainties reputedly taste like crunchy prawns. 

A worrying report however is that bee larvae may just play a big role in the taste secrets of the famous cola, Pepsi. It’s been said… that PepsiCo sends its R&D robot worldwide to taste fruits, plants, bugs and yes, bee larvae, possibly in the ongoing effort to enhance the closely-guarded formulas that makes their cola taste so addictive.

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Rice Bug (Water Bug), Thailand

In authentic cooking, essence of ca cuong (water bug) is also added to Thai Fried Rice (Khao Pad), giving it a very unique, sweet taste

And believe us, Thais do love their six-legged friends... dipped in either spicy or sweet sauce. Have you seen a rice bug before? In Thailand, rice bugs usually flutter around lamps, look like giant cockroaches and are a pest as they damage rice crops. But once they become the deep-fried version, they look just like crispy rice balls, with a ‘unique’ flavour. The other dining method, recommended by enthusiasts (if you would like to be called a rice bug connoisseur) is to squeeze out the rice and down it with hot sauce.

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Pickled Shiokara, Japan

Various types of shiokara

Now over to Japan, where a unique pickle called shiokara is not your average vegetable-and-vinegar variety. These are salted and fermented marine animals that could range from the common squid to the expensive abalone. It is an acquired taste; not all local Japanese population are fond of it, but some consumers eventually find it addictive.

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Raw Sea Slug, Korea

Korean raw sea slug

Weird and wonderful foods have also moved up the chain into the realm of the restaurant menu, such as Korea, where the sea slug is a delicacy served up raw. These passive creatures are cleaned and sliced, after which they emerge on platters where diners can eat it with a variety of dipping sauces. 

It tastes crunchy and is somewhat similar to radishes. According to some, it’s palatable, as long as you don’t see it pre-cleaning or if you have it with a beer or two. The human appetite for novelty knows no bounds.

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Still, it has been said that these two sources, seafood and insects, could be the answer to the world’s increasing food production demands. In fact, food companies could lead the way in research and marketing. If McDonalds can bring ethnic foods to the masses like the McAloo Tikki, there’s hope yet for the human race to survive, albeit in a weird reversal of roles where fast-food chains are called to supply cultural and nutritious snacks. 

Limited local flavours launched by McDonalds include McAloo Tikki, Big Bulgogi Burger, CroqueMcDo & Maharaja Mac

If that would happen, the clock would be ticking for the bamboo larvae or those singing crickets in our backyards. And humans would be solving two problems at once, food shortage and pest invasions to our farmed crops. That said, fried sago larvae, anyone?

Scorpion, cricket, worm? How brave are your culinary adventures? Tell us below!