In this article I will tell you about a strange delicacy from Vietnam. Crickets.
Apologies for the awful photo. At this point in Vietnam, I had lost my phone and bought a cheap replacement with a bad camera. Though, that’s probably no excuse for the quality of this cryptid-esque image that seems like I’ve pulled a Polaroid out of my back pocket in an attempt to prove the existence of Bigfoot.
However, I’ll spin a description so your brain can imagine well enough, and I have a clear image of the crickets below.
I feasted upon these critters in Vietnam. The farm and restaurant were in Vietnam’s central highlands near Da Lat. Da Lat is an amazing city which you can use as a hub for tours and to explore the highlands.
The restaurant’s name is Trai Dế Thiện An, in a village called Mê Linh outside Da Lat.
Within the farm area are large round buzzing enclosures, that from afar, look like a mass of lively foliage, yet on closer inspection you’ll see the hundreds of swarming crickets within.
The meal was served as my party and I waited on small stools around a table. Soon they came, a few bowls filled with crispy fried crickets with a side of chilli sauce. I’m a big fan of hot sauces, therefore I was very happy to have this condiment on the side as I usually add hot sauce to many foods. I tried the cricket with sauce and without, and the sauce definitely improved it (Probably as I just like chilli sauce).
Using a toothpick to pierce the crispy cricket I had my first bite. Crispy and smoky. It wasn’t how I would expect insects to taste, as it was the first insect I had ever eaten. With a crunch and a swallow, I had eaten my first. Now to eat with the sauce. The chilli sauce was great, compared to nachos and chilli sauce there wasn’t much difference. Crunchiness with a spicy taste. It wasn’t bad and could have been any simple snack, just forget you’re eating crickets.
Definitely visit this place or try the strange delicacy from Vietnam, fried crickets if you visit Da Lat.