Weird Food - Ant Eggs

Considered weird food by some, ant eggs are a delicacy in Northern and N.Eastern Thailand especially. Red Ant Eggs ( Kai Mot Daeng) are available in local markets but many Thai people will collect the ant eggs by themselves. Along with Ant Eggs many other insects and bugs are popular in Thailand.

This can be a hazardous exercise as the red ants do not take kindly to having their nest interfered with and will fiercely protect it so collect the eggs at your own risk. Red ants may be small but you will certainly know when you’ve been bitten by one. The Red ants that you find in Thailand are weaver ants which build large nests by ‘gluing’ some leaves together.

Red ant eggs can be prepared in many ways. They can be eaten raw in a salad “Yam Kai Mot Daeng” which is sometimes served along with the ants as well, made into a soup known as “Kaeng Kai Mot Daeng”, added to an omelet “kai Jiow Kai Mot” and can even be lightly salted, wrapped in banana leaves and roasted for a tasty snack ‘Kai Mot Daeng Op”. Red ant eggs when eaten raw are soft and juicy with a slightly sour lemony taste.