By Koby Parry
I have declared bankruptcy, and I am now being forced into a hunter-gatherer lifestyle. Luckily, I have prepared for this bankruptcy by living in a country that was incredibly resourceful in times of genocide and famine. Cambodia is home to a plethora of tropical fruits, exotic foods, andbugs (which are all a part of their menu). The extensive variety of food is a great source of protein and minerals, and better yet… They’re free if you can catch them.
Cambodian Fried Crickets
- 1 lb of crickets (free unless purchased, ~$0.17 for 40 crickets)
- 2 tbsp of garlic salt ~$1.12 ($0.17/oz)
- 2 tbsp of chili powder ~$1.12 ($0.17/oz)
- ¼ cup of vegetable oil ~3.64 ($0.08/fl oz)
- ¼ cup of butter ~$3.98 ($0.25/oz)
- 1 chopped red chili and green onion to garnish (optional) ~$1.00
Grand total: ~$10.86
Recipe total: ~$2.00
Note: If you have money and you don’t want to scrounge around in the dirt for crickets, you can go to your local pet shop and buy some crickets. It’s a smart investment if you learn how to breed the crickets, then you can provide yourself with an unlimited supply of crickets. This recipe can also be applied to maggots, tarantulas, beetles, scorpions, and dragonflies which can all mostly be found at your local pet store.
- Place a large pot or pan over high heat, adding butter and vegetable oil.
- While the butter melts with the oil, approach the crickets with your head down in a non threatening manner. Gain their trust and gather them into a bowl, placing a lid or plastic wrap over the top to keep them from escaping their inevitable deaths. Once a pound of crickets has been gathered, rock the bowl and hush them with gentle lullabies until they fall into a peaceful slumber. Choose your favorite cricket and set aside.
- Aggressively sacrifice the rest of your crickets to the volcanically hot oil to prevent any from escaping. Toss continually until the crickets are golden brown.
- Place the cricket corpses into a large bowl, then season immediately with garlic salt and chili powder. Toss the bowl until all of the crickets are evenly coated.
- Garnish with red chilis and green onions. Serve immediately.
Note: The remaining cricket may attempt to revolt. It is purely optional to spare it.
College Cuisine: Cambodian Fried Crickets was originally published in The Herald on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
