Crispy, expensive insect dishes, “weak-hearted” customers don’t dare to move their chopsticks in Dong Nai

At first glance, rice crickets have an ugly and unattractive appearance, but they are the raw materials for processing many famous dishes in Long Khanh (Dong Nai), attracting tourists from all over the world.

In recent years, when the demand for “delicious food” of diners has increased, rice crickets have quickly become an attractive specialty in the land of Long Khanh (Dong Nai province) and are enthusiastically received by gourmets. welcome.

In the past, rice crickets were a rustic dish of indigenous people, but gradually became a “unique” specialty that was loved by many people, with a high price, about 3,000 – 5,000 VND / animal, depending on the size. and quality

In the past few years, rice crickets have become a famous specialty in Long Khanh (Dong Nai) and are sought after by many diners (Photo: Trung Le)

According to many experienced locals, the most fertile time for rice crickets is around September and October every year, when the last rains of the season gradually become sparse. At that time, the people of Long Khanh started going to the forest, shifting cultivation or rubber plantations to “hunt” rice crickets.

Rice crickets are insects that live naturally underground, in burrows of different depths and nooks. To catch this cricket, people have to use many ways, the most common is catching the boil ants and then filling the mouth of the cave. Wait for a few minutes, the rice crickets bitten by ants will jump out of the mouth of the cave, hunters are free to catch.

In some places, catching boil ants is not easy, people will use the stalks of rice grass (also known as bamboo grass) as a fishing rod to catch rice crickets.

Rice crickets are difficult to catch, but cannot be raised, only found in the wild, so they have a high price (Photo: Trung Le)

Mr. Tran Van Tam (Xuan Loc district, Dong Nai province) has more than 4 years of “hunting” rice crickets. He said that in order to catch this insect, he had to watch in front of the tiny caves, hidden deep in the ground. In particular, it is recommended to “hunt” rice crickets in the early morning because at this time, they are the biggest and fattest.

“It is not easy to catch rice crickets because not all areas have this insect living. Normally, rice crickets only appear on high mounds, especially abandoned sandy beaches or where potatoes and beans are grown, “, Mr. Tam said.

This man further revealed that the reason people often catch rice crickets instead of catching other types of crickets such as coal crickets, fire crickets, pepper crickets, etc. characteristic deliciousness. On average, each day, Mr. Tam catches 150-200 crickets, on a “hit” day, he can reach 250-300.

The price of rice crickets at the beginning of the season is quite expensive, about 4,000-5,000 VND each because of the difficulty of hunting. However, in the season, this insect is sold at a cheaper price, about 2,000 – 3,000 VND/head.

Rice crickets live in a natural environment, eat grass, so they are very clean, have a greasy, delicious taste (Photo: Trung Le)

Not only is “hunting” rice crickets quite difficult, but processing them also requires ingenuity and feats. The captured crickets are washed, gutted, broken off the wings, tail and hind legs. Because this cricket has a large size, the people of Long Khanh often stuff more fillings into their stomachs before cooking to increase the rich flavor, creating a famous specialty.

This filling consists of minced pork belly, mixed with spices, pepper, garlic, fish sauce and then wrapped with roasted peanuts. The mixture was then stuffed into the abdomen of each cricket. This stage must be very careful, to avoid tearing or breaking the rice crickets’ body, affecting the quality of the dish.

Cricket fried rice with fish sauce is a favorite drink of “men” because of its delicious, rich flavor and attractive crunch (Photo: Ut Loan)

Crispy fried crickets served with guise leaves have become a favorite drink of many diners (Photo: Trung Le)

After being cleaned, stuffed with the filling can be processed into many attractive dishes such as deep-fried, fried with fish sauce, salted stock, fried with lemongrass and chili,… For deep-fried dishes, the chef only needs to dip the crickets in rice. Add egg whites, roll in flour, and place in a pan filled with hot oil. When they turn yellow, the cockroach wings are fragrant, they can be taken out, drained of oil and then eaten with guise leaves or eaten with herbs, tomatoes, … all delicious.

Fried rice crickets with fish sauce are considered the most delicious and attractive, making both locals and diners fascinated. Clean the crickets, fry them directly in hot oil, then take them out, transfer to another pan to stir with fish sauce, garlic, and chili as you like. This dish is eaten immediately when hot, enjoyed with white rice is very delicious.

Crickets are packed and transported to many surrounding provinces and cities, meeting the needs of enjoying famous specialties of diners across the country (Photo: Dat Le Van)

Cricket rice has a greasy, crispy taste, blended with the rich taste of ground meat and roasted peanuts, adding to the deliciousness of the dish. However, for the first time diners enjoying it will be a bit wary, even shivering because the appearance of this insect is quite ugly. Those who are familiar with it and have the opportunity to taste it many times will feel fascinated and enjoy the strange taste of rice crickets.

Today, rice crickets have appeared on the menus of many restaurants and eateries in Dong Nai, especially Long Khanh. Even, this insect is also cleaned and packed by people to be transported to many provinces and cities, meeting the enjoyment needs of tourists from all over the world.