Chiang Mai Thai Secret Cooking School, November 10-2013

www.Chiang-Mai-Cooking-School.com

Collecting Red Ant Eggs to Eat! at Thai Secret Cooking School

Hunting down a Delicacy : Collecting Ant Eggs, A Edible Treat in The North of Thailand, Requires Skill and Patience.

 

In the North of Thailand Red Ants are making nests in Mango trees and Longan trees, the eggs in the nest are cleaned and eaten: a rare and special food.
 
"Mod Dang" Red Ant = Oecophylla Smaragdina  

 

 

 

 

We were exited when we got a special request asking if during our Thai Cooking Class we could go out and try hunting "Red Ant Eggs" to cook and eat. It seems that some how we are always finding ways to go off and play. So on the morning of April 20th, We went to pick up our hunters from www.JuniorGuestHouse.com

 

'Our fun day begins!! Let Hunting Ant Eggs!!'

We had prepared the equipment, 1. A long Bamboo stick 2. A big bucket with a bit of tapioca flour in the bottom. Then we tied them together.

Uncle "Ar non" showed how to break the Ant nest.

 

Matt  (one of our lovely guests) was trying to break the first Nest ! It was not as easy as he thought and the ant nest was to high - then hundred of ants started falling on us and loving us with little bites!

 

 

          We keep moving from one mango tree to another, this process took about an hour.

 

  

 

Here are some Videos of our Ant Hunter Team!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally we have ant eggs..!! yeaaaaa, and we tried to separated the pearly-white egg that are about 0. 2 cm in size and fragile, from the pinchy red ants and the queen ant (which is not easy ) The queen ant can be deep-fried and eaten as a snack, However they are less prized than the eggs.

 

 A funny video for you,  I named the video "Ant Hunter Dance"

 

"Action"

 

 

 

 

 

 

After having a big fight with the red ants and hot weather, we took a break by walking through our farm and paddy field to get some fresh air and I showed them how we grown rice and harvest rice.