TRANG 12 March 2014 Locals in Huay Yod district are searching for red-ant eggs during the dry season in order to provide themselves with food and extra income.
Locals of Huay Yod district, Trang province, have lately been hunting high and low for wild red-ant eggs to provide food and extra income for their families during the drought season. As ants lay eggs during the drought season, locals, armed with long sticks and sacks, have been on the hunt for this natural delicacy.
The collection process is quite simple. Locals put sticks, long enough to reach the ant nest in the tree, and shake them until eggs fall into the sack at the end of the stick.
Red-ant eggs, which have long been a gourmet dish among locals, fetch up to 400 baht per kilo. Those who have gathered extra will sell it for additional income. Moreover, red-ant eggs are much less fatty than chicken eggs: 100 grams of red-ant eggs contains only 2.6 grams of fat, whereas a chicken egg contains 11.7 grams.
