{"id":146614,"title":"Guide to Edible Insects in Thailand","modified":"2026-06-23T14:41:27+02:00","plain":"Eating insects in Thailand is something many travelers end up doing in the evening, especially in places like Bangla Road in Phuket and Khao San Road in Bangkok.   Edible insects are actually a very popular delicacy in Thai cuisine, as they make light and surprisingly healthy snacks.   Once you get past the instinctive reluctance to put tiny creepy-crawlies in your mouth, you may find that some are actually quite tasty.   Delicious, but a little crunchy   I\u2019ve put together a list of edible insects you can try in Thailand and Phuket. You\u2019ll find them in many night markets and stalls around the island, as well as in roadside shops in Phuket\u2019s nightlife hotspots. Tasting insects is also one of the must-do activities in Phuket.   This practical guide will give you an idea of what to expect from the first bite and help you choose the insects you\u2019re most likely to enjoy.   1. Grasshoppers (takatan)      When it comes to insects to eat in Thailand and Phuket, grasshoppers are among the most common, perhaps because they\u2019re among the least slimy.   Fried in soy sauce, these crunchy little critters taste mostly salty, with a bitter finish reminiscent of green tea.   Think of them like chips or salted peanuts. You may find them surprisingly filling, even if they take a little getting used to.   2. Silkworms (nhon mhai)      Silkworms are commonly eaten as a snack in Thailand, although beginners often mistake them for maggots.   And of course, knowing they\u2019re the source of luxurious Thai silk scarves doesn\u2019t necessarily make them look any more appetizing ! Silkworms are usually fried with kaffir lime leaves, which give them a strong citrus note. They also leave a bitter finish, and the inside is a little sticky.   3. Crickets (jing reed)      Crickets may look like grasshoppers, but their flavor is quite different. They can be a bit of an unpleasant shock on the first bite : their fattier insides quickly fill your mouth.   They have a soft center that leaves a slightly soapy bitterness. Appetizing, isn\u2019t it ?   4. Mini-crickets (jing reed khai)      Mini-crickets sit somewhere between grasshoppers and regular-sized crickets.   They retain the soft center of their larger cousins, but also have the lighter flavor of grasshoppers, along with the aroma of the kaffir lime leaves they\u2019re often fried with.   Thanks to their subtle flavor, mini-crickets make a good entry point for beginners in entomophagy.   5. Bamboo worms (rod duan)      Bamboo worms are among the most popular edible insects with Thai people, but far less so with tourists.   You can find them at almost every stall and food cart on the island, including in Phuket Old Town. Like smaller silkworms, they have a crispy shell and a soft interior. Their flavor is slightly different : salty at first, followed by a cheesy note.   6. Scorpions (mang pawng)      Scorpions aren\u2019t especially common in Phuket, but you can find them if you look hard enough.   These snacks are most often bite-sized, although some stalls sell large specimens on skewers.   Either way, they\u2019re generally quite tender beneath their crunchy shell, with a slight bitterness and a somewhat unpleasant flavor, like sour milk. The pincers, on the other hand, are reminiscent of crab ! Rest assured, there\u2019s no risk of venom poisoning !   7. Sago larvae (tua duang)      Sago larvae are the large larvae of the Asian palm weevil. They\u2019re also one of the hardest insects to eat in Thailand.   Once you get past their rather off-putting appearance, you\u2019ll discover a very meaty texture with a bacon-like taste. Although sago larvae are generally fried, you can try them raw if you feel like a challenge.   8. Giant water bugs (mang da na)      Giant water bugs are the largest edible insects available in Phuket \u2014 and also among the hardest to eat.   You have to tear off the head to get to the flesh hidden inside the hard shell. Those who dare will discover that the taste is actually quite good. Contrary to their unappealing appearance, giant water bugs have a meaty texture and give off a smell surprisingly close to chewing gum.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/146614","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=146614"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/146614\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8008"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=146614"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=146614"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=146614"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}