Grilled Beetles
The start of a new friendship. Dan struck up a conversation with some Cambodians having a late afternoon snack of bugs and sugar cane juice. Next thing we knew, Dan was being taught how to properly dismantle them by removing their wings and legs. After that, there's nothing left to do but pop them in your mouth and chase them with a healthy gulp of sugar cane juice.
The large brown palmetto bugs (not shown...but we could) were crunchy, virtually meatless, and felt like eating a bag of anise-soaked shrimp shells. The black bugs, called roaches by the Cambodians, were in fact a bit meatier and tastier.
Dan favored the black beetles. The Cambodians had a good laugh. Having apparently earned some street credibilty, we were invited by our Cambodian friends k to their house in the village. They wanted us to meet their relatives visiting from California (many Cambodians emigrated to the US in 1979-1980) and their Cambodian cousin who had just gotten married. The groom invited us to the blessing ceremony the next morning.
Read more about our visit to Battambang, Cambodia.
