Can You Eat Spiders Raw?
WouterYou can eat spiders raw, but only as long as you do not get stung. If you do, your body will absorb the poison into your system and it will be dangerous.
Nevertheless, spiders are eaten in many parts of the world, especially in Asia. In Thailand, for example, people eat crickets, grasshoppers and ants. They also eat earthworms, which are a valuable source of protein.
Eating spiders raw is not uncommon in Cambodia. Locals eat tarantulas, and tourists are known to eat them as well. Some locals eat their bodies while others suck on them.
The chitin on the tarantulas’ outer shells make them chewable. It is the same type of material that is used to cover the shells of shrimp and lobsters.
Many of these spiders are caught in the forest by locals, and they are then pulled out and eaten. The taste is not too bad.
When the tarantula spider is cooked, it tastes much like fried prawns. Usually it is served in a restaurant, or it is sold in a market.
Tarantulas are one of the most poisonous arthropods on the planet. However, there are some people who are immune to tarantula bites.
Several other edible insects are also consumed by the Thai. Bee larvae, cicadas, centipedes, and locusts are common, and locals eat grasshoppers and bamboo worms.
Other edible insects include cockroaches and dragonflies. Several species of flies are edible as well.
Although some spiders have venom, most of them are not poisonous. Most people who eat these insects do so for health reasons.
