Fear Conquering & Eating Silkworms

We ate silkworms! Yes, silkworms are edible, sort of.

I am no longer an eating-a-bug virgin.

I love sampling new foods – the more authentic the better. But, from time to time we are faced with delicacies which may be too authentic.

As we explored the city of Dalian, China we found many exotic and exciting foods, quite a few that were displayed in the restaurants alive.

Restaurant serving silkworms in Dalian, China

These lively, moving menus worked well for the point-and-eat method we’ve developed when exploring areas where we don’t have a language in common with the residents.

The food is alive in restaurants in Dalian China!

Restaurant serving silk worms in Dalian China

After window shopping the fare in several establishments, David and I settled on one and sat down.

In no time, I was pointing to a plate of wiggling silkworms and there was no turning back.

We had been taunting each other ever since we found out in Beijing that people actually ate the buggers.

We ate silkworms! Yes, silkworms are edible, sort of.

When the dish arrived, the smell alone brought about extended stall tactics.

The incredibly unpleasant aroma led me to trying the garnish first, asking every member of the staff how to go about ingesting the worms, bringing one right up to my lips and chickening out (by the way, they most decidedly do not taste like chicken), and utilizing every other excuse I could come up with to delay the inevitable.

Seriously, a medal for bravery might have been in order.

David had announced, as soon as he got a whiff of the bugs, that he was having none of it. But the gauntlet was down; there was no way I was letting him getting away with not trying the delicacy. I mocked him until he finally relented.

As soon as his teeth cracked the bug-like shell…

WATCH: I was shocked at the panic I saw in my eyes when I was editing this video! ONE of us actually ate a silkworm — and the other is a wuss.

Thanks to the incredible staff – even though they laughed at me – they were amazingly wonderful and the rest of the food we sampled was SO delicious.

As we bid farewell, their many hugs almost relieved the slightly queasy feeling I had in the pit of my stomach.

Veronica, GypsyNester.com

Click here to see more about our day in Dalian

See more of our adventures in China!

YOUR TURN: Would YOU try a silkworm? Or have I finally gone too far?


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13 thoughts on “Fear Conquering & Eating Silkworms”

  1. That video is so funny! We had similar experiences both in Africa and China (where “dragonfloy” turned out to be fried grasshoppers). Gotta try everything once!

  2. Oh My! That wasn’t queasy you felt, it was a little guy trying to escape – ha! Kudos for trying. I’d like to think I would try, but 75% of me is screaming “No insects!”
    *laugh*

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