From April to October of the lunar calendar every year is the time when Khmer people in An Giang go cricket hunting. Previously, crickets were a rustic dish, people would bring them home to roast and make a dish to change their meals.
But now, fried crickets have become a specialty of many provinces such as An Giang, Dong Nai , and are enjoyed by tourists from far away. Because of that, this ugly insect has become expensive, sometimes up to 350,000 - 400,000 VND/kg - "more expensive than meat and fish".
Rice crickets are usually twice as big as crickets, pale yellow in color, and quite fat. This type of insect lives naturally underground, in deep, small caves and nooks. Cricket "hunters" must be experienced to discover their caves.
Crickets can be processed into many attractive dishes such as fried crickets, fried with fish sauce, braised with salt, stir-fried with lemongrass and chili... In An Giang, the most popular dish is fried crickets with fish sauce.
Ms. Nguyen Phung Truc Giang, owner of a country restaurant in Soai Check, Tri Ton, An Giang, said that the price of crickets in season is about 200,000 VND/kg, but at the beginning or end of the season, it often increases by one and a half to double and it is not always possible to buy large quantities.
Usually, buyers will go to Khmer villages to collect crickets.
According to Ms. Giang, when buying crickets, they are washed, gutted, wings, tails and two hind legs removed. This step requires meticulousness and carefulness.
When finished, the chef will deep-fry the crickets in hot oil, then remove them and transfer them to another pan to stir-fry with onions, garlic, pork rinds, and green pepper until the crickets are firm, then add delicious, aromatic fish sauce.
An indispensable ingredient in the fried crickets with fish sauce dish in Tri Ton, An Giang is Chuc. At first glance, the Chuc tree looks like a lemon tree, but the Chuc leaves have a waist in the middle like a “figure 8”, and the aroma is much stronger than that of lemon leaves.
The plant is often grown in Khmer families. The scent of the plant helps eliminate the fishy smell of meat and fish, while also stimulating the sense of smell.
When finished, fried crickets will be crispy and fatty. "This dish is very popular with diners in An Giang and neighboring areas. However, when we introduce it to visitors from far away, many people are a bit afraid.
When they tried it, they were delighted by the delicious, crispy, fatty taste. Many people even bought vacuum-packed fried crickets to bring home as gifts," said Ms. Giang.
In Oriental medicine, crickets have diuretic and detoxifying effects, are good for people with kidney stones, and also enhance physiology. However, crickets are not delicious and good for health, so eating too much is not recommended.
Experts say you should only eat a few at a time and not too often.
Mr. Duong Viet Anh, a tourist and photographer in An Giang, said: In recent years, tourism in Tri Ton, An Giang has developed rapidly, especially trekking. This area has many rustic but attractive rural specialties such as fried rice crickets, grilled chicken, beef stir-fried with yellow ants, grilled frogs...
"Not only the beautiful scenery but also the special dishes become a plus point of Tri Ton tourism in the eyes of tourists," said Mr. Viet Anh.
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Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/con-trung-xau-va-dat-chien-gion-rum-khach-toi-an-giang-san-tim-thuong-thuc-2298796.html
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