While Markus and I are traveling, we always try to find what the locals eat. I never want to say, "I wish I ate that when I was in..." I definitley try to live my life without regrets. That's why I find things that are strange and weird and off the beaten path. I know that for most, they find these things unusual, but for Markus and I, it's an opportunity for an adventure.
With that on the forefront of our minds, we decided to try tarantula in Cambodia. I remember watching the Cambodian episode of Bizarre Foods. Of course he ate tarantula and I vowed that I would eat it if I ever went to Cambodia. I never thought I would ever travel to Cambodia, but sometimes life takes you to unexpected places!
On a ten hour bus ride to Koh Rong, we stopped at a rest area. It was only a five minute stop, so we didn't get out. As we drove out of the bus stop, we saw a huge tarantula statue and heaps of women selling them on the side of the road. We were so disappointed and vowed that we would find it in one of the cities or on the way back to Siem Reap. On the way back, we took a different route and stopped at another rest stop. It was actually much nicer than the first one and we made a bee-line for the food area.
At first, we didn't see them. We looked and looked and were quite disappointed. Then, as we were about to walk out, we saw them. They took them out and even let Markus hold them. Then they fried them up for us to eat. I have to admit, it was a bit strange being able to see them alive one minute and then cooked the next.
Even though, I was super excited to try the tarantula, I was really worried it wouldn't taste good. I was totally wrong. It was really yummy and quite delicious. They cooked the little guys in oil, green onions, garlic and lots of spices. They were fried until crispy and the smell was so fragrant. When we got on the bus, everyone came over and started taking photos. We were the only ones who had them, so they all swarmed us. When all the people finally dispersed, we were able to try them. I remember Andrew Zimmern saying that they tasted like soft shell crab and he was right. They were really tasty and I really liked it. To be honest, I would probably eat them again. Experiences like this are the reason why I love traveling. You never know what you really like until you try it!