Let's Start the Day with this Post "Eating Insects & Bugs is Part of Cambodian Culture(Khmer Culture)"

Cambodia's Weird?

Insects and bugs are every in Cambodia, so why not having them for our meal?? Cambodia is one of the few countries that eats almost everything and never want to waste the resource it has. Thus, insects and bugs are more than our snacks because some people like having them for daily meal as well. Grasshoppers, tarantulas(some people get confused and call them spiders), crickets, worms.... Cambodia's weird?

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When Did We Start to Eat Insects and Bugs?

Cambodia has a long history of war, and it happened a decade after gaining the independence from France(Cambodia was under French colonization for almost a century-90 years). Then, a civil war broke out, and the country was in turmoil until 1975 when the communist party gained power until 1979. This period of time is also called Khmer Rouge or Pol Pot Regime. More than one million people were killed within this time because people were being forced to work for the government too much and did not have anything(Communist Ideology) In order to survive, people caught insects and bugs to eat. I also heard that some people eat dead body that was just got killed.

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When the war was ended on Jan 7th, 1979 Cambodia was completed destroyed and had nothing to build itself. Cambodian people were all over the place, some were at Thai boarder, some fled to another country like America and France if lucky enough. The war was over, and people went back to their homeland, but the problem was that they had nothing to start their life. Cambodian people eat rice, but there weren't anything for them to start rice farming. The only thing they could find was fruits, yam, and wild veggies around them, and insects and bug were also included. They could find insects and bugs every where, and that was what they heavily depended on instead of ham or beef. This cultures is now becoming part of Cambodia's and it makes unique from others.

Besides insects and bugs, Cambodian people also eat things that Western people might think we are crazy like;

  • dogs(in another way is called Special Meat)
  • Rats
  • Cats(some people)
  • Birds(eat all kinds of bird)
  • Frogs
  • Snakes
    *There are more animals that I can't think of right now! Cambodian people say that wild animals tastes better than ham or beef, and I think it is true. If you come to Cambodia one day, don't forget to try any of the animals I listed above because Angelina Jollie who came to Cambodia few months ago has already tried this. Have fun!!!

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Now, selling insects and bugs is a big business. There are tons of small shops selling cricket, tarantula, and worms along the road, and there are a lot of people who stop and buy it every day. Thus, the price is worthy to try if you have not tried it yet. Locals fry insects and bugs and sell them for $2-$3 per one small box. And this business is booming every where. Tarantula is the most expensive and cricket is the most selling insect.

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