We all love superheroes. Everyone loves to see Spiderman roaming around in his suit. However, if the “man” part is removed from the name, do you like it now? No way home, right? While you & I are running away with fear in our hearts, some eyes are sparkling with joy watching it on their plate. Yes, I am talking about tarantulas as food.
This unusual food may be considered gross in the western world but it has important historic roots. It is a cuisine born out of necessity. It is linked with the murderous reign of Pol Pot and his communist Khmer Rouge movement in Cambodia in 1975. People suffered from violence and starvation during that period and they had to find alternative food resources for survival.
Tarantula came into the picture to fill that gap of food. At that time tarantula became a regular food on the menu. They fulfilled the need for nourishment for the ill-aided people of Cambodia. The reason behind this was its availability. The spider could be found easily in heavily forested areas. It is very easy to catch as well.
In today’s Cambodia, fried tarantulas are a delicacy. They are consumed by local people as well as tourists. The street vendors’ sells the spiders after rolling them in sugar or garlic. The pricing is quite low as well, around 40 to 50 cents apiece only. The act of frying poisonous spiders has become a tourist attraction as well. In Mexico, tarantulas have been offered in tacos. Fried tarantula is a great snack served with wine. They are also wrapped in banana leaves and then grilled.
Some tarantulas are poisonous which is why people fear them but they are not deadly. It is so easy to catch that even children can catch them without supervision. Experts even catch them with bare hands. The entire process of catching and preparing a tarantula can take only ten minutes.
Tarantula is good for health. It contains high protein, folic acid and zinc contents. For some, it tastes like crabs. Others describe its taste as a cross between chicken and cod. The taste is quite bland. There is a contrast in texture as the centre is soft and the exterior is crispy. The head and the body have white meat inside them. The legs contain little flesh. Most of the time the abdomen is not consumed as it contains excrement. Some people recommend not eating it while others consider it a delicacy.
Overconsumption and deforestation may be a threat to the population of tarantulas. The Mexican government banned many species of tarantulas to be used for human consumption. Despite their usefulness, the legs of the spiders are yet to be spread on the plates across the globe.
