Spiders, Fried

When next in Cambodia, visit the ladies of Spiderville in Angkor Wat. You can purchase yourself a heap of fried spiders for a midday snack.

As much as this horrifies me, as much as my arachnophobia triggers my fight or flight reflex at seeing this image, my taste buds are telling me something different. They're trying to remember the last time anything fried had tasted bad. They're telling me that maybe they'd overwhelm my base survival instincts (well, cultural bias) and make me eat one of these. Can my taste buds really hold such sway?

If my waistline is any indicator, the answer is yes. Time for some serious introspection. And lunch.

Photo by James and Cesca Bell