Bug Breath!

My friend, Brendan, who is from Shilong, Meghalaya, texted me yesterday asking if I was interested in trying some insects. And of course since I'm still trying to discover and explore entymophagy (practice of eating insects), I jumped at the opportunity!

He brought some Naga style smoked bee larvae and silkworms. There is a particular method of traditional smoking used in Nagaland, which gives the cured foods a district flavour. And the insects had this unmistakeable smoked flavour, along with a seasoning of red chili and ginger.

The bee larvae were soft and had a flaky texture, somewhere between that of egg yolks and crabmeat. They were milder in flavour. The silkworms had a much stronger flavour of the spices and smoked curing. They were also chewier and had a nice bite! I could say I enjoyed the silkworms more.

Apparently, they are best eaten with daal and rice, like a pickle. I think I'd quite enjoy that!