Fried tarantula, a popular delicacy in Cambodia

Sunday, 27 November 2011
Posted by Serath

SKUN DISTRICT, Kompong Cham, Nov 27 - Foreigners are afraid of them and are usually surprised when they find out that most Cambodians regard a-ping, a species of Asian tarantula, as a delicious snack. Some believe the giant spiders can also cure ailments such as back pain and sexual problems, even though there is no scientific evidence.

Some visitors to Cambodia assume that people must have started eating a-ping during the Khmer Rouge regime between 1975 and 1979 when the malnourished population had no choice but to eat everything to survive. In Skun, a small highway town about 75 kilometers north of Phnom Penh, a-ping vendors disagree, insisting that Cambodians have long been eating the spiders as a delicacy.

SPIDER TOWN

To some people, Skun is known as "spider town". Located at the intersection of National Roads 6 and 7, it is a popular rest stop for people traveling between Phnom Penh and northeast Cambodia or Siem Reap.

For hungry travelers seeking to munch on the traditional delicacy, spiders are sold already fried. For others, especially people from Phnom Penh who want to take them home to add to rice wine, often for medicinal purposes, the spiders are sold live.

Neang Tho, 37, has been selling spiders and other insects since she was a young girl and says most of the buyers, both young and old, are Cambodians in cars from Phnom Penh. But she said some foreigners also buy spiders including French and Chinese.

With its numerous roadside restaurants, Skun is a convenient stopping off point for people on long journeys. But Vuthy, a 38-year-old government official from Phnom Penh, said he was in Skun specifically to buy spiders. “To me, they're delicious and I like eating them as a snack,” he said.

On a recent visit to Skun, Vuthy also bought 50 live spiders with the intention of adding them to two liters of wine and storing them for a period before using the concoction as a medicine to relieve pain and other ailments. As she was selecting the live males for her latest customer, Neang Tho tried to sell him apples, longan and pomelos as well to make the medicine taste better.

BOOSTING SEXUAL PERFORMANCE?

Mony Ra, another Phnom Penh resident, said he had eaten the spiders since the Pol Pot regime, when at least two million people were killed. "Fried spiders are tasty and I like them. Even some foreigners enjoy them,” he said, noting that it was also believed that a-ping could boost sexual performance.

Neang Tho also supplies live a-ping to Phnom Penh markets, notably the Central Market, Oreussey Market and Psar Chas, the old market. Vendors usually mix the spiders with wine which is kept for a month before being used as medicine.

A-ping are dug out of holes in the soil and are supplied daily to Skun from catchers who live in Siem Reap and Kompong Thom provinces. "In each hole, we can find only one spider. So if I get 500 spiders a day, it means that my suppliers have to dig 500 holes to get them," Neang Tho said.

Only female spiders, which are bigger than the males, are cooked as food. "Before we cook them, we have to clean them with water and add some salt, seasoning and sugar. Then we fry them for about three minutes," Neang Tho said, noting that they should not be overcooked. While a-ping are not venomous, they do bite. “If you are bitten by an a-ping, it will be painful but the pain will disappear within 24 hours.”

POPULAR WITH CAMBODIANS IN AMERICA, FRANCE

So Sopheak, a 32-year-old a-ping vendor at the Central Market in Phnom Penh, said her customers were both men and women including Cambodians who live in the United States and France. In addition to relieving pain, many people believe that the smaller male spiders mixed with wine can treat asthma and other respiratory complaints.

As for cooked spider snacks, Sopheak prepares these at home before bringing them to the market. Sales range from 500 to 1,000 spiders a day. With female a-ping worth between USD 0.15 and 0.20, daily turnover can be as high as USD 200 a day.

Spiders are not the only insects eaten by Cambodians. Most fried spider vendors also sell other fried insects including crickets which are also popular. While many edible insects are seasonal delicacies, especially in the wet season, a-ping are generally available all year round.