Late afternoon light, people dragging nets through water

Music

Thompson:  The sun's getting low, and Samon and Chaweewan are getting hungry.

00:07

Music

Thompson:   There's still time for a final sweep of the paddy pond, because somewhere here dinner is lurking.

00:15

Thompson:  What did you catch?

Samon:  Tadpoles.

Thompson:  Tadpole.

Samon:  But you can't touch this because it will pinch you.

Small crabs in a bowl

Thompson:  Like many Thais, Samon delights in eating things that many westerners would hesitate to even touch. We're told there's enough here to feed three families.

00:37

Samon:  I don't know how to eat steak, and I wouldn't swap....this is tastier.

00:49

Thompson:  That doesn't mean they eat anything. Back home, the squirmy things inside the squirmy things are carefully removed.

00:57

This is not a cuisines for the faint-hearted. The north-east province of Isaan is famous for having the spiciest food and the most bizarre ingredients. The first course tonight is tadpole stew, with plenty of chilli and herbs.

Woman:   Hot...hot...hot

Other person:  Don't take too much!

Thompson:  Delicious!

Thompson eating food

Man playing guitar

Music

Thompson:  Thai cuisine may now be popular around the world. But foodies have barely begun to unearth the delights of Isaan.

01:53

Music

Thompson:   Flies are about the only insects not welcome at these markets.

02:53

Stink bugs are a particular delicacy, as a base for chilli paste, or just a healthy finger food.

02:08

Thompson eating

Thompson:  Personally, I'd rather eat tadpole stew.

02:19

Thompson:   I'd love to be really culturally cool and say it tastes fantastic, but you know those stink bugs you get on your shirt as a kid, try taking it off and eating it. That's what it tastes like.

02:25

Thompson:  Yuck!

02:36

Person in market:  Maybe it's too hot for him!

Thompson:  That really did taste like stink bug. Can't someone else do this story?

Strange looking shrimps

Thompson:   But this is not just a story about the strange things that people eat.

02:49

Because, like it or not, bug cuisine could be coming to you.

Inside the research and development centre at Isaan's agricultural college, modern science is promoting the benefits of bugs. The head researcher, Rattana, believe they're better for you than steak or chicken.

02:59

Rattana eating bugs

Rattana:  It has a good taste.

Thompson:  And good for you?

Rattana:  Yes. It has vitamin B1, B2 and niacin.

03:13

Thompson:  The college buys bugs from villagers and cooks them up in sterile conditions. On today's menu are cockroach-like black beetles and a small plague of locusts.

03:23

Rattana:  I think it is not dirty. It's very clean. Some of them eat only grass.

Laboratory machines

Thompson:  The aim of all this is to build up an export industry for Isaan's locals.

03:43

The college has mobilised the surrounding villagers. Every night bug hunters go to work.

Every house here is equipped with a neon lure.

03:56

Prachan:  Once the rainy season starts in April, we have plenty of insects. 

Thompson:  Prachan Phichai has been trapping insects for ten years for the local market. Now she's going global. For every kilogram of creepy crawlies, the college pays her four dollars.

04:04

Neon light catching bugs

Prachan:  It's not bad.  It's enough to help my family.  I can buy cooking oil, and other household stuff.  If I don't catch them I may not have a single cent.

Thompson:  Catching nocturnal bugs is the easy part. By day, two of the college's intrepid hunter-gatherers search low and high for a real Isaan delicacy - ant eggs.

04:31

Thompson:  Do you get bitten much when you try to catch the ants?

04:49

Prachan:  Yes, plenty.

Thompson:  Is it worth it?

Prachan:  Yes, because we can feed ourselves. 

Cockroach things being cooked

Thompson:  Every morning the college stir fries the fresh catch, and dries it out in ovens to seal the flavours in.

05:07

The project is still in the developmental stage. But Rattan hopes enterprising businesses will take advantage of the export potential.

05:17

Rattana:  It's the first time that we put in the can. It can keep for a long time, and so people who live far away can buy them and eat them.

05:25

Thompson:  The college has already had inquiries from gastronomic giants like Japan and Italy, as news of Isaan's gourmet grubs travels the globe.

05:38

Wine being poured

So, the acid test. Fresh from the laboratory, a selection of exotic insects with a garnish of basil.

05:47

Thompson:  Here we go. A bit of local Thai wine, some catfish sausage, and a plateful of bugs.

05:54

Thompson:  In truth, I was as keen on this dinner as I would be for a cockroach sandwich. And yes, the black water beetle tasted much like you'd expect an ugly black beetle to taste.

06:09

Thompson:  Yummy.

Thompson:   But the silkworm pupae weren't bad at all.

Thompson eating the silk worm.

Thompson:   They taste a little bit like liver.

Thompson:  The crickets were crunchy. A bit like beer nuts with a soft centre. Going down quite nicely with a drop of local plonk.

06:26

Gourmet insects won't be to everyone's taste. But if you're looking for a meal with a difference, bugs aren't bad grub.

Plate full of bugs.

Music

END

06:43

Credits: 

Reporter:  Geoff Thompson

Producer:  Eric Campbell

Camera/Editor:  David Leland

Late afternoon light, people dragging nets through water

Music

Thompson:  The sun's getting low, and Samon and Chaweewan are getting hungry.

00:07

Music

Thompson:   There's still time for a final sweep of the paddy pond, because somewhere here dinner is lurking.

00:15

Thompson:  What did you catch?

Samon:  Tadpoles.

Thompson:  Tadpole.

Samon:  But you can't touch this because it will pinch you.

Small crabs in a bowl

Thompson:  Like many Thais, Samon delights in eating things that many westerners would hesitate to even touch. We're told there's enough here to feed three families.

00:37

Samon:  I don't know how to eat steak, and I wouldn't swap....this is tastier.

00:49

Thompson:  That doesn't mean they eat anything. Back home, the squirmy things inside the squirmy things are carefully removed.

00:57

This is not a cuisines for the faint-hearted. The north-east province of Isaan is famous for having the spiciest food and the most bizarre ingredients. The first course tonight is tadpole stew, with plenty of chilli and herbs.

Woman:   Hot...hot...hot

Other person:  Don't take too much!

Thompson:  Delicious!

Thompson eating food

Man playing guitar

Music

Thompson:  Thai cuisine may now be popular around the world. But foodies have barely begun to unearth the delights of Isaan.

01:53

Music

Thompson:   Flies are about the only insects not welcome at these markets.

02:53

Stink bugs are a particular delicacy, as a base for chilli paste, or just a healthy finger food.

02:08

Thompson eating

Thompson:  Personally, I'd rather eat tadpole stew.

02:19

Thompson:   I'd love to be really culturally cool and say it tastes fantastic, but you know those stink bugs you get on your shirt as a kid, try taking it off and eating it. That's what it tastes like.

02:25

Thompson:  Yuck!

02:36

Person in market:  Maybe it's too hot for him!

Thompson:  That really did taste like stink bug. Can't someone else do this story?

Strange looking shrimps

Thompson:   But this is not just a story about the strange things that people eat.

02:49

Because, like it or not, bug cuisine could be coming to you.

Inside the research and development centre at Isaan's agricultural college, modern science is promoting the benefits of bugs. The head researcher, Rattana, believe they're better for you than steak or chicken.

02:59

Rattana eating bugs

Rattana:  It has a good taste.

Thompson:  And good for you?

Rattana:  Yes. It has vitamin B1, B2 and niacin.

03:13

Thompson:  The college buys bugs from villagers and cooks them up in sterile conditions. On today's menu are cockroach-like black beetles and a small plague of locusts.

03:23

Rattana:  I think it is not dirty. It's very clean. Some of them eat only grass.

Laboratory machines

Thompson:  The aim of all this is to build up an export industry for Isaan's locals.

03:43

The college has mobilised the surrounding villagers. Every night bug hunters go to work.

Every house here is equipped with a neon lure.

03:56

Prachan:  Once the rainy season starts in April, we have plenty of insects. 

Thompson:  Prachan Phichai has been trapping insects for ten years for the local market. Now she's going global. For every kilogram of creepy crawlies, the college pays her four dollars.

04:04

Neon light catching bugs

Prachan:  It's not bad.  It's enough to help my family.  I can buy cooking oil, and other household stuff.  If I don't catch them I may not have a single cent.

Thompson:  Catching nocturnal bugs is the easy part. By day, two of the college's intrepid hunter-gatherers search low and high for a real Isaan delicacy - ant eggs.

04:31

Thompson:  Do you get bitten much when you try to catch the ants?

04:49

Prachan:  Yes, plenty.

Thompson:  Is it worth it?

Prachan:  Yes, because we can feed ourselves. 

Cockroach things being cooked

Thompson:  Every morning the college stir fries the fresh catch, and dries it out in ovens to seal the flavours in.

05:07

The project is still in the developmental stage. But Rattan hopes enterprising businesses will take advantage of the export potential.

05:17

Rattana:  It's the first time that we put in the can. It can keep for a long time, and so people who live far away can buy them and eat them.

05:25

Thompson:  The college has already had inquiries from gastronomic giants like Japan and Italy, as news of Isaan's gourmet grubs travels the globe.

05:38

Wine being poured

So, the acid test. Fresh from the laboratory, a selection of exotic insects with a garnish of basil.

05:47

Thompson:  Here we go. A bit of local Thai wine, some catfish sausage, and a plateful of bugs.

05:54

Thompson:  In truth, I was as keen on this dinner as I would be for a cockroach sandwich. And yes, the black water beetle tasted much like you'd expect an ugly black beetle to taste.

06:09

Thompson:  Yummy.

Thompson:   But the silkworm pupae weren't bad at all.

Thompson eating the silk worm.

Thompson:   They taste a little bit like liver.

Thompson:  The crickets were crunchy. A bit like beer nuts with a soft centre. Going down quite nicely with a drop of local plonk.

06:26

Gourmet insects won't be to everyone's taste. But if you're looking for a meal with a difference, bugs aren't bad grub.

Plate full of bugs.

Music

END

06:43

Credits: 

Reporter:  Geoff Thompson

Producer:  Eric Campbell

Camera/Editor:  David Leland