I
laughed when a foreign friend recently asked me whether it was true that when a
Vietnamese man encounters a new animal, he first asks “Is it dangerous?” and
secondly “Is it edible?”
Pile of critters: Roasted grasshoppers are popular as they are healthy and tasty. Photo: Restaurants in Hanoi
It’s
undeniable that many Vietnamese enjoy eating a range of insects. The critters
are local specialties but may seem a little too ‘creepy’ for the uninitiated.
However, with the enticing aroma of a freshly fried bug, who knows, you may be
tempted to take a bite after all…
The
most common insects used as food in Việt Nam are grasshoppers and silkworm
pupae.
Roasted grasshoppers
– delicacy from the rice harvest
Grasshoppers
are closely intertwined with my childhood memories. When I was younger, I loved
running through endless rice fields accompanied my friends on the hunt for grasshoppers.
The
best time to catch them was in the early morning when their wings were wet with
dew and they struggled to fly. Another opportunity was when it was raining. I
would shout with joy when I caught a couple of grasshoppers, ‘hugging’ each of
them when they were still asleep in the morning’s dew.
Catching
grasshoppers was only one of the ways we entertained ourselves. But when I
managed to catch a bunch of insects, I brought them home. The grasshoppers were
then roasted and the dish became one of my favourites. The crunchy insects were
very popular for families living in countryside in the 80s when life was still
difficult. They caught them in rice fields or bought them cheaply at the
market.
After
leaving the countryside for Hà Nội, I missed those days of catching
grasshoppers with my friends.
Nowadays,
as the economy develops, roasted grasshoppers have disappeared from the diets
of Việt Nam’s families, particularly in big cities, replaced by meat and other
more expensive food. But it remains a popular dish, especially for those that
grew up snacking on bugs.
It’s
easy to make fried grasshoppers. Boiled water is poured over the grasshoppers
in order to remove their wings. The long antennas, hard legs, and organs are
removed. After that, the grasshoppers (with or without their heads) are mixed
with salt, rinsed and then left to dry before being cooked. Grasshoppers are
roasted in a pan until they turn deep brown. Sliced lemon leaves will be added.
The
resulting dish is tasty and crunchy, containing high nutritional value.
Grasshoppers
can be found in the fields all year round. However, they are especially
abundant during rice harvest season, from May to September. They are also
usually a lot fatter.
Grub’s up: Silkworm pupae are taken out of their cocoons. - Photo Bạch Liên
Silkworm pupae
Even
more popular than grasshoppers, silkworm pupae were widely consumed in Việt
Nam. Roasted silkworm pupae are enjoyed by many Vietnamese people as the dish
contains lots of nutritious protein.
The
country’s nutrition experts say that the dish, rich in protein and minerals, is
good for children as it can prevent malnutrition and is important for the
development of the body. It is also good for those who suffer from kidney
disease or arthritis.
The
silkworm is the larva or caterpillar of the domesticated silk moth. Silkworm
pupae are silkworm in the preparation phase, turning into butterflies to lay
eggs.
The
sericulture — the practice of breeding silkworms for the production of raw
silk-- has its origins in China where it has been practiced for almost 5,000
years. It spread to Việt Nam and some other Asian countries.
Many
villages in North Việt Nam were famous for raising silkworms with mulberry
leaves and harvesting cocoons to make the natural silk.
The
silkworm pupae are very popular in the local markets.
From
the market, pupae are washed, dried, and then mixed with salt. The silkworm
pupae will be fried with oil and fish sauce.
Lemon
leaves were cut into tiny strips and mixed into fried pupae to add more taste
to the dish.
“The
first time I ate silkworm pupae was one year ago in a restaurant in Hà Nội. Well,
at first, I was afraid of eating them but then I wanted to try as I was
curious. It was much more delicious than I first thought,” says Laura Carle, a
Swiss teacher in Hà Nội, laughing.
“In
Switzerland and I guess, in other western countries, it is absolutely not on
the menu. So why don’t we take advantage of our time in Việt Nam to taste some
original food,” she says with a big smile.
Food
specialists are encouraging people around the world to think about eating
insects – an excellent source of protein. Although you may be creeped out at
first, hundreds of Vietnamese can’t be wrong. Why not give it a try?
By VNS