Fried Spiders at “The” Market in Sihanoukville

During the tough latter years of Khmer rule, the Cambodians working out in the fields were running out of food, and resorted to eating basically anything that wouldn’t eat them first.  That included bugs, insects, and yes: spiders.  It turns out that the Skuon spider, a grotesque hairy tarantula, is the tastiest.  Now in more prosperous times, sales of the spider are up; it is typically served deep fried with garlic and salt.  At “the market” – which is actually called Phsar Leu (the Upper Market in English) but so huge everyone just calls it the market – you’ll see people walking around with trays of them, little crispy legs dangling from the side.