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.
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