Food File: Fried Frogs

A flat tyre is as good a reason as any to eat something.

So what’s a girl to do when a flat tyre happens somewhere in the wilds of the Cambodian countryside and the only food outlet is a fried food stand on the side of the road?

It seemed like snack time to me.

We all wandered over to take a look at what was on offer. And while I was trying to work out what the fried things were, Darling Man and our guide Mr Chan were stealing tid-bits from the piles of fried stuff.

There were fried crickets and fried silk worms and … I could hardly believe it … whole fried frogs.

With his mouth full of food, Darling Man told me he was eating tree frogs.

I am not one of those people who eat gross things just to say I’ve done it. I like to eat things that taste good.

But I felt like such a hypocrite standing there with a screwed-up nose as the fellas tucked in.

So I tentatively selected a frog.

And even more tentatively bit into it.

It was surprisingly good.

It was crunchy and salty and not so oily. Rather like a fried potato skin.

It was so good I had another one.

*Many thanks to AsiaRooms for hosting us in Cambodia. Reviews of our two fabulous hotels are coming soon.

By: Barbara

A career girl who dropped out, traveled, found love, and never got around to going home again. Now wrangling a cross-cultural relationship and two third culture kids.