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A Cambodian tuk tuk driver and guide with a tarantula in his mouth shortly after it was dug from the ground. Picture: Tim Whitby Source: Getty Images
Deep fried tarantulas for sale at a bus stop. Picture: Tim Whitby Source: Getty Images
HUNTING tarantulas and then eating them has become the latest extreme tourist experience in Cambodia.
Considered a local delicacy, holidaymakers are joining locals to hunt spider holes and then devouring the creatures doused in soy sauce, deep fried in salt and garlic, or mixed into rice wine and jack fruit cocktails.
Locals head to the forests or cashew nut plantations on the outskirts of Sukon and poke sticks down the hundreds of spider holes, capturing them as they rush out of the earth.
Tours are not advertised but visitors are being offered the experience by locals in Kampong Cham Town and Sukon, where tarantulas are more commonly eaten.
Tarantulas are also bred in fields in these areas, and because they are nocturnal the hunting is done during the day time to maximise capture.
Pictures: Strange food from around the world
The spider trade is thought to have been in operation since the 1970s, when people forced into the jungle during the Khmer Rough's regime survived by eating spiders and other bugs.
Locals found the tarantulas tasty and began to experiment with flavours and dishes.
Not just for eating, many Cambodians believe in the tarantula's medicinal purposes. They are thought to assist with anything from back aches to breathing problems in children, and are particularly effective when served with rice wine.
Tarantulas in Sukon are sold for around 10 cents each, with tarantula wine sold for as much as $2.50.
Pictures: Strange food from around the world
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