普吉岛不可错过的奇特泰国美食（如果你有勇气的话）

泰国是勇于尝鲜的食客的天堂。除了大多数游客流连忘返的泰式炒河粉和绿咖喱之外，这里还存在着另一个街头美食的世界。其中许多美食根植于泰国东北部伊善地区因地制宜、物尽其用的乡村烹饪传统，那里从不浪费任何食材，昆虫和河鲜世世代代都是廉价且富含蛋白质的食物来源。其中有些食物将考验你的胆量。这是我们精选的普吉岛最奇特的泰国美食、每种食物的真实面貌、寻找它们的地方，以及关于哪些食物需要谨慎尝试的诚恳建议。

安全提示： 这些食物绝大多数都可以放心食用，但有少数是生食。泰国疾病控制局警告称，生食及未煮熟的淡水鱼和虾类菜肴可能会携带肝吸虫，这是一种与胆管癌相关的寄生虫，且青柠汁、盐或发酵均无法将其杀死，只有彻底煮熟才能杀灭。请在客流量大、干净卫生且翻台率高的摊位就餐，如果对生食存有疑虑，请放弃品尝。这是常识性信息，并非医疗建议。

10种菜肴，从“我能试试”到“你先请”

1. Teen Gai（红烧鸡爪）

A gentle place to start. Chicken (or duck) feet are braised and stewed until soft and gelatinous, usually in a soup or served dim-sum style. They are rich in collagen, genuinely tasty, and eaten all over Asia, so they are less a dare than an acquired texture.

2. Khai Mot Daeng（红蚂蚁卵）

Usually tossed through a salad or a spicy soup, red ant eggs are a prized Isaan delicacy with a pleasant citrusy pop, and they honestly taste good. The tiny eggs come with a few live ants for extra sourness. High in protein and, surprisingly, one of the easier items on this list.

3. Malaeng Tod（油炸昆虫）

The classic gateway bug. Crickets, silkworms, grasshoppers, bamboo worms and beetles are deep-fried, seasoned with pepper and a splash of soy or fish sauce, and sold by the scoop as a crunchy alternative to crisps. They are nutritious, sustainable and, once you get past the legs, not far off a savoury cracker. This is the one to start with.

4. Goong Ten（跳跳虾）

Goong ten, or "dancing shrimp", is live freshwater shrimp doused in lime juice, chili and herbs so that they twitch and jump in the bowl, which is where the name comes from. It is a real test of nerve. It is also one to think twice about: because the shrimp are raw and freshwater, this is exactly the kind of dish the health warning above applies to, so approach with caution or skip it.

We filmed ourselves taking on dancing shrimp and a few other Phuket oddities. See how it went:

5. Larb Leuat Neua（生牛肉伴血）

An Isaan classic that is essentially a Thai answer to steak tartare: finely chopped raw beef bound with fresh, uncooked blood and seasoned hard with herbs, chili and lime. The blood adds richness and a deep, iron flavour. As with any raw meat, there is a food-safety risk, so only eat it somewhere you trust.

6. Bpak Ped（烤鸭嘴或炸鸭嘴）

Proof that Thai cooking wastes nothing. Duck beaks are marinated in spices and either grilled or deep-fried until crisp, then gnawed like a snack. There is very little actual meat, so this one is more about the experience and the seasoning than the eating.

7. Nu Na（烤田鼠）

Before you recoil, these are not city rats. Nu na are clean rice-paddy rats that feed on grain, and they are a genuine rural delicacy across Isaan and central Thailand, grilled whole over charcoal. As the saying goes, it tastes a lot like chicken.

8. Mok Huak（发育中的蝌蚪）

A seasonal Isaan speciality of tadpoles, caught as they begin to develop legs, steamed in banana leaf with herbs and chili paste. It is a resourceful, traditional dish that leans firmly into the deep end of the pool.

9. Maeng Pong（烤串蝎子）

More of a Bangkok tourist rite of passage than a Phuket staple, the skewered scorpions you see under bright lights are farmed, deep-fried and have the stinger removed before serving. Despite the legends, they are cooked, not eaten alive. The taste is smoky and crunchy, closer to a burnt prawn shell than anything sinister.

10. Khai Khao（毛蛋）

The final boss for many. A fertilised duck egg incubated until the embryo has partly formed, then boiled and eaten straight from the shell with a little salt and chili. Hugely popular across Southeast Asia, it turns up on street stalls in Thailand too. Not one for the faint-hearted, or the squeamish.

循序渐进：适合初学者的尝鲜食物

Not ready for tadpoles? Thailand has plenty of milder ways to push your comfort zone.

• 榴莲被称为“水果之王”，气味过于浓烈，许多酒店禁止携带，但其如蛋羹般的果肉深受全亚洲喜爱。抛开气味不谈，它只是一种水果，是非常好的第一步挑战。
• **臭豆（Sator）**是一种气味浓烈、带有苦味的豆子，常与虾和辣椒一起爆炒。虽然需要时间去适应，但味道非常美味。
• 油炸蟋蟀是入门最简单的昆虫，本质上是一种酥脆咸香的酒吧小吃。
• **皮蛋（khai yiao ma）**是一种腌制鸭蛋，蛋白呈深色的果冻状，蛋黄呈奶油般的绿色。其实比看起来要温和。

如果这些你都不感兴趣，那么来上一盘正宗的健康泰国菜也毫无压力。

在普吉岛哪里可以品尝到冒险美食

普吉岛的夜市是最好的寻味场所，因为你可以在决定购买之前看清所有的食物。

• 纳卡周末市场（Naka Weekend Market）（周六和周日）在庞大的美食区旁设有油炸昆虫摊贩。
• 青蛙夜市（Chillva Market）（周四至周六）位于普吉镇，是购买油炸昆虫和其他异国小吃最可靠的地点之一。
• **芭东的班赞海鲜市场（Banzaan Fresh Market）**位于江西冷后面，是摊位在夜幕降临后变得热闹非凡的地方。
• **老街周日步行街（Lard Yai）**非常适合品尝各种奇特的小吃。
• **芭东孟加拉路（Bangla Road）**的摊贩经常为勇敢的游客准备油炸昆虫。

想要更温和地了解当地美食，我们的普吉岛餐厅指南和像One Chun这样的泰南菜馆是不错的起点。

Frequently asked questions

What is the weirdest food in Thailand?

It is a close call between goong ten (live "dancing" shrimp), mok huak (developing tadpoles) and balut (a fertilised duck egg). Fried insects are the most famous, and the easiest to actually try.

Is it safe to eat insects in Thailand?

Yes. Fried insects are cooked, nutritious and widely eaten. Stick to busy stalls with fresh, hot oil, and they are as safe as any other cooked street food.

Which unusual Thai dishes should I be careful with?

The raw ones. Dishes made with raw or undercooked freshwater fish or shrimp, such as dancing shrimp, can carry liver fluke, a parasite linked to bile duct cancer. Raw beef with blood carries the usual raw-meat risks. Cook-first dishes are the safe bet.

Where can I try exotic food in Phuket?

The night markets. Chillva Market and Naka Weekend Market are the most reliable for fried insects, with more stalls at Banzaan in Patong and the Sunday Walking Street in Phuket Old Town.

Do Thai people actually eat these foods?

Many, yes, especially insects, ant eggs, chicken feet and field rat, which are traditional and popular in the Isaan northeast. Others, like scorpions on skewers, are aimed mostly at tourists.

So there you have it, a taster of Thailand's wilder side. Next time you tire of pad thai, why not push your comfort zone a little. Know a bizarre dish we missed? Tell us in the comments below.