Fried spider is a popular snack in Cambodia made from large zebra spiders. They are cooked in oil with spices and marinated. The abdomen is considered a delicacy by some but others find it unpleasant. Deforestation has reduced their numbers. Spiders are prepared by crushing their chest and removing their fangs. They are cooked in a pan or fried in oil until crispy. The taste is described as similar to chicken or crab, but the abdomen’s liquid core and contents can be an acquired taste.
Fried spider is a popular snack in some regions of Cambodia. The large spiders are placed in the oil along with the spices and fried until crispy or marinated and fried in oil. The taste of fried spider head and legs is said to be rather bland; the large abdomen contains a thick, liquid core with a taste that some people find very unpleasant, while others consider it a delicacy. The spiders are harvested from the forest or grown in special holes so they are more readily available for cooking. Local deforestation has threatened the spiders’ natural habitat, reducing their numbers.
The specific spiders used for frying are called zebra spiders or edible spiders and are known locally as a-ping. They are very large arachnids related to tarantulas, with similar small spine-like hairs covering most of their bodies. They have fangs and poison, although the fangs are removed before cooking and the poison is neutralized by the heat of cooking. People who pick spiders for cooks are at risk of being bitten and often do, resulting in large, swollen, discolored sores. Pregnant female spiders are particularly coveted because the eggs in their abdomens are believed to provide extra vitamins and taste.
Spiders are prepared for cooking by first having their chest, or neck area, crushed to kill them. Subsequently, the hard and sharp fangs are removed, although the poison remains in the body. The rest of the body remains intact during the remainder of the cooking process.
For some fried spider preparations, a marinade is prepared. This may consist of oil and garlic, although some cooks also add monosodium glutamate (MSG) for extra flavour. Additionally, sugar is sometimes added with the intention of caramelizing the surface. Red food coloring can occasionally be added to turn the fried spider a warm, rich color instead of its natural gray-black color. Other marinades may include powdered soup mixes, onions, and ginger.
There are two ways arachnids can be cooked and still be considered a fried spider. The first method is to cook them in a heavy pan over a fire. The second method is to fry them in oil. Both ways of preparing deep-fried spider are completed when the spider’s legs are crispy and stiff, indicating that the meat inside has been fully cooked and the venom rendered harmless. The longer the spider is cooked, the less mushy the internal organs will be when the abdomen is eaten.
Different people have different descriptions of what a fried spider tastes like. The head and feet have been compared to chicken or crab. The abdomen, however, has been described as incredibly, addictive by some and sickeningly inedible by others. This is partly due to the unusual consistency of the liquid inside the abdomen and the actual taste, which includes the digestive tract and all of its contents.
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