Crispy cricket dishes not for 'faint-hearted'

Rice crickets look unappetizing but in Long Khanh, Dong Nai they are raw ingredients used for famous dishes that attract tourists from all over the world.

In recent years, when diners' demand for the "dainty morsels" increased, rice crickets quickly became a delicacy in the land of Long Khanh.

They were once a rustic dish of the locals, but gradually became an exotic specialty loved by many people, at a price of about 3,000 - 5,000 VND each depending on the size and quality.

According to 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 for the people of Long Khanh to go to the forest, shifting from cultivation or rubber plantations to "hunting" rice crickets.

Rice crickets are ground-dwelling insects located in burrows of different depths, nooks and crannies. There are many methods to catch one, including the most common way of baiting them with boiled ants, and in some places, using stalks of rice grass (also known as bamboo grass) as a fishing rod.

Tran Van Tam from Xuan Loc, Dong Nai spent four years "hunting" rice crickets. He said that in order to catch this insect, "hunt" rice crickets in the early morning because at this time they are the roundest and fattest.

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

He said people often catch them instead of other types of crickets such as coal crickets, fire crickets and pepper crickets because of their cleanliness and delicious flavor. On average each day, Tam catches 150 to 200 crickets and on a good day, he can reach 250 to 300.

The price of rice crickets in open season is expensive, about 4,000-5,000 VND each because of the difficult hunting. However, later on the insect is sold at a cheaper price, about 2,000 - 3,000 VND/head.

Rice crickets live in natural habitats and eat grass, so they are very clean and have a mouthwatering rich taste.

Not only is "hunting" rice crickets difficult, but cooking them also requires skill. The captured crickets are washed and gutted, and the wings, tail and hind legs are broken off. 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.

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

Fish sauce stir-fried rice crickets is a favorite bar snack thanks to its delicious, rich flavor and appetizing crunchiness.

After being cleaned, stuffed with the filling, crickets can be deep-fried, fried with fish sauce, salted stock, or fried with lemongrass and chili.

Today, rice crickets appear on the menus of many restaurants and eateries in Dong Nai, especially Long Khanh. The insect is also cleaned and packed to be transported to many provinces and cities.