Number 1
I’m throwing this in there because a lot of people would probably think of it as a weird thing. Have you ever heard of the fruit that smells like rotting flesh or a sewage drain? It is illegal to use as a weapon in thailand. It’s covered in threatening spikes. And it’s the royal fruit of Thailand.
Have you guessed what it is yet? If you guessed durian, you guessed correctly.
But, this fruit is surprisingly delicious if eaten at the right time. Its flesh is sweet and firm almost like a custard apple.
Number 2
Scorpians
Anyone been to Asia? Have you scoffed down one of those scary looking creatures on a stick? I used to them eat weekly.
When I had a new crew joining me in Bangkok for the start of their two week adventure, it was obligatory to crunch into one of them and have the crew follow my lead.
I’d go a skinny crunchy one.
I will say they did serve them up quite nicely, evenly fried and crispy and in Khao San Road they would give them a little spray of soy sauce.
Best thing about this snack, it was plastic free.
Number 3
Flying ant, fish soup. Yup, been there, done that, not going to go there again.
I was in a small village in Thailand and it was the one day that these flying ants had hatched and the locals were excited to go and capture them to cook up a storm. I declined at first, then was told that it is a must have at this particular time of the year. Okay fine.
I pulled up a cushion on the floor, grabbed a bowl and scooped out some soup. There was a whole fish chilling in there too. Too say I quickly slurped it down and went straight for the rice would be an understatement.
Number 4
‘Blood soup’
I loved eating noodle soup when I lived in Asia. I could eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It was the best hangover cure too; loads of liquid to hydrate the body, protein to keep you going and sugar and spice to wake you up. Damn, my mouth is watering just thinking about this dish.
We used to visit a small village near Surin in Thailand, a nine hour bus ride from Bangkok. The lady next to where we stayed in the village cooked a mean noodle soup and it cost 30 baht – $1!! It was the best.
She served two types of soup though, the clear soup and the blood soup. I would always make sure one of my Thai buddys helped me order the clear soup, but this one time it didn’t quite go to plan.
The lovely lady served me a big, hearty steaming bowl of blood soup.
I gave it a crack for the sake of trying it, but had to pass it on to someone else to eat.
Number 5
‘Bulalo’
Holy shit this one got me! A famous dish in the Philippines is Bulalo. It is a soup that is made by cooking the bones and marrow of the bone. The locals actually suck the juice out of the bone and say that it is the best part. The dish is famous for warming the body in cooler, windy environments.
The Philippines has some interesting foods! Another stand out is the Balut.
An egg (usually duck) that has been incubated for 2-3 weeks (basically half developed) then is steamed and eaten.
That’s a big no no from me.
