Cooking shows are quite prevalent here on Thai television. Any day of the week you can tune in for delicious, flavorful Thai recipes or even Japanese or western cooking shows dubbed into Thai. They sure do enjoy their food here in Thailand!

Most of the time these are typical Thai dishes, sometimes Thai “Fusion” using the staples of chefs in this region (basil, chilies, garlic, bergamot, shrimp paste, lemongrass, shallots, fish sauce, etc.), but every once in a while you see something unusual.

Today, the TV Chef was cooking a savory soup using vegetables, mushrooms, chicken stock and then added an ingredient somewhat common to Northeastern Thailand which looked like small, white beans. These little “beans” were RED ANT EGGS! (I’m told that these taste a bit sour, but are enoyed by some Thais from the northeast.)

I can’t say I’m really surprised. This type of thing is common in Thailand. Even here in Bangkok you are sure to spot carts selling an assortment of tasty insects for snacking! (These are definitely not as popular as the grilled or fried pork or chicken street vendors!)

Don’t worry, if you are visiting Central Thailand, you don’t have to worry if that delicious dish you bought from the street cart has red ant eggs or some other really exotic ingredient in it. Most of what you will find here is mainstream Thai Food that you might find in your favorite Thai restaurant, only better and much cheaper! Although, if you really want some red ant egg soup without taking a trip up near Laos, I’m sure you could find it here somewhere!

If you’ve tried Thai Food, you know it’s delicious If you haven’t don’t worry that you’re going to be eating something as exotic as red ant eggs! Visit Thailand and give it a try! If you can’t make it to Thailand, or you’ve been there and want to learn how to cook your favorites, here are a few great cookbooks with some delicious Thai recipes to try at home:

Easy Thai Cookbook: The Step-By-Step Guide to Deliciously Easy Thai Food at Home
The Food of Thailand: A Journey for Food Lovers (Food Of Series)
Vatch’s Thai Street Food
Modern Thai Food: 100 Simple and Delicious Recipes from Sydney’s Famous Longrain Restaurant
Thai Vegetarian Cooking
Lonely Planet World Food Thailand (Lonely Planet World Food Guides)