In Isan it's all just a matter of taste

There has been too much depressing news lately so let's lighten things up a bit. There was an article in the Post a few weeks ago concerning a shop in Khon Khaen that is serving ice cream heavily topped with grilled chicken. I haven't tried it and to be frank have no intention of doing so, but by all accounts it is going down very well amongst people in Isan.

- Roger Crutchley

Grilled chicken is of course a very popular dish in the Northeast and so is ice cream, but whether the two actually go together is another matter. Looks like it’s a case of different strokes for different folks.

One problem facing a foreigner who has resided in Thailand many years is that as an “old hand” you are expected to happily consume anything that is proffered without a hint of a grimace. On my forays to Isan over the years I have gallantly munched my way through half the insect kingdom. Amongst these delicacies have been giant grasshoppers, water-bugs and unidentified creepy crawlies.

Ithas not only been insects. I have also had the doubtful pleasure of dining on frogs, lizards, snakes and snails. Then there was buffalo tongue which was tasty but incredibly chewy. But after all these years, I still can’t face chicken feet.

Mixed grill

Thailand is said to be the world’s largest producer of edible insects and these bugs are reportedly particularly popular in the United States. Although the Americans have not abandoned their steaks, spareribs and Big Macs, some brave souls are not averse to occasionally tucking into crickets, moths and butterfly parts.

Apparently there is a growing market in the US for “Isan Mixed Grill’) an inviting blend of bugs, ants and worms. For those with a sweet tooth, chocolate-coated worms are quite popular, although some draw the line at buffalo-dung beetles, even if they are buried in chocolate.