The Mind Creative FEBRUARY 2015 | Page 34

process involving climbing and nimble skill. With an increase in demand for birds nest soup however, manmade nesting sites are often constructed. Hong Kong and the US are the largest importers of birds’ nests and a bowl of soup can cost around $30 to $100, whilst a kilo of nest can cost between $2,000 and $10,000. The soup has been a tradition for centuries and is believed to be nutritious in proteins and minerals and apparently has aphrodisiac qualities. Fried Tarantulas - Cambodia These enormous spiders that you can buy on the streets of Skuon, Cambodia, are served fried whole – legs, fangs and all. They were first discovered by starving Cambodians in the bloody, brutal days of the Khmer Rouge rule and have gone from being the vital sustenance of these people to a delicacy that tourists come from far and wide to try. Busloads of people stop at the markets of Skuon to try these delicacies which have now become the source of fame and fortune for many locals. They cost only a few cents and supposedly the taste is delicious when pan fried with a bit of garlic and salt; crispy on the outside with a gooey body on the inside. 34