Unique and expensive insects sought after by diners

Palm weevil

Palm weevils are larvae of worms that live in the soft part inside the tops of palm trees such as coconut trees, areca trees, and palm trees. There are two common types of palm weevils: coconut weevils and date weevils, with different sizes and colors. But the most valuable and rarest is the date weevils.

Palm weevils are quite similar to coconut weevils but are larger in size. Photo: Arttimes

People living in Ca Mau said that each palm tree has only one worm. Moreover, only wild palm trees growing in mangrove forests have worms. These are natural insects and cannot be cultivated. Therefore, they are very rare, many people buy them to enjoy.

Palm weevils are quite similar to coconut weevils but are larger in size. They are pure white, and do not have fine hairs or black intestines like many other types of weevils. A palm weevils costs about 65,000 VND.

Coconut worms are a unique specialty of the Mekong Delta. The worms dipped in fish sauce and eaten raw are one of the most popular dishes. However, not everyone dares to try this specialty because the worms look like larvae, with a soft, milky white body, moving by slithering back and forth, which can make people cry out when they see it for the first time.

Because it is a delicious dish, loved by many people, nowadays, many households try to raise coconut worms to sell for profit. However, this is still a harmful creature, so it is forbidden to breed and raise coconut worms in any form. On the market, coconut worms are sold for 10,000-20,000 VND/worm.

Silkworm

In the past, people used to eat silkworm pupae. But now, many people buy live silkworms to process into many dishes. They are sought after because they are advertised as a super functional food, even better than ginseng, and have a rich, fatty and delicious taste.

Many people buy live silkworms to process into food. Photo: Nhu Bang

Therefore, farmers have also switched to raising silkworms for food. However, buying fresh silkworms is not easy, customers often have to order in advance because silkworms mature in batches. The selling price of silkworms ranges from 150,000-200,000 VND/kg, depending on the type.

Bamboo worm

The bamboo worm lives in the bamboo tree trunk and is a special delicacy of the people in the Northwest. This worm can be used as both food and medicine with many valuable uses. Considered to be "cordyceps" (a precious Chinese medicinal herb), bamboo worm is sought after by many people.

Bamboo worms are often used to soak in wine or processed into dishes. Photo: Lao Cai Newspaper

In the market, fresh bamboo worms are sold for about 1 million VND/kg, while the separated and dried bamboo worms cost about 4-6 million VND/kg (depending on size).

Bamboo shoot worm

Bamboo worm is a worm that lives on bamboo shoots and is a specialty of people in mountainous areas such as Son La, Muong Lat (Thanh Hoa). Bamboo worm is as big as a chopstick tip, about 2 finger joints long.

Bamboo shoot caterpillars are worms that live on bamboo shoots. Photo: Dan Tri

Bamboo worms are similar to bamboo worms, but people usually buy them to cook instead of soaking them in alcohol. The most delicious, simple and attractive dish is bamboo worms stir-fried with lemon leaves. Bamboo worms in Muong Lat town cost from 150,000 to 200,000 VND/kg. In Hanoi, the price of bamboo worms can be up to half a million VND/kg.

silkworm

Cassia leafhoppers are the larvae of a worm that grows on Cassia trees and is green like leaves. In the Central Highlands, Cassia trees are often planted to support pepper plants, but this worm only eats Cassia leaves, so farmers do not spray pesticides, but wait until they form cocoons before harvesting.

Caterpillar.

Just like silkworm pupae, you can fry, stir-fry, roll in flour, boil or even eat raw. The silkworm has a fatty taste typical of worm larvae, people usually wait for this worm to form a cocoon before harvesting and processing it into food.

Although a specialty of the Central Highlands, silkworm pupae are loved by many Hanoians despite the price of up to 200,000 VND/kg.

Sandworm

It is called sandworm because it often lives deep in the sand and has a shape similar to a worm. It is also known as sea worm or sea worm. Sandworm is found in abundance in the coastal areas of Quang Ninh.

When fresh, sea worms look like worms, about 5-10cm long, some are 15-40cm long. 1kg of fresh sea worms costs 200,000 VND, the dried ones cost up to 4-5 million VND/kg. Sea worms are expensive because they have high nutritional content, can be used to treat many diseases, and are especially used by gentlemen as a miracle drug to increase vitality. In the past, sea worms were one of the rare seafood, often used as tributes to kings and mandarins.

Sandworm.

In cooking, sea worms are considered a special type of MSG. Fresh sea worms are used to make soup, stir-fry with fresh garlic or roast and dip in chili sauce. Dried sea worms are stewed with bones and used in dishes related to pho and vermicelli.