Mae Lang Thood
It would not be a post about strange foods in Thailand without including "bugs." Actual bugs, not horseshoe crabs (which in some ways have more in common with insects that less-ancient crustaceans) or the parasites swimming around in larb dib.
While it is difficult to determine which of Thailand's beloved bug dishes is the weirdest, mae lang thood seem like an obvious choice. That is because if you did not look closely at them before you eat them, you might not realize they are bugs at all.
Chicken Feet
Most vendors will give the chicken feet a pedicure, per-se, before cooking them in a soup, the most popular method of preparation. First, the feet are boiled in a salted broth until they are tender. Then, depending on the vendor, ingredients such as sugar, chilies and fish sauce are added. You can also find chicken feet salad or deep fried chicken feet in many Thai establishments.
Pickled cockles
Another embellishment for somtum papaya salad, these cockles are pickled in a deep red bloody fish sauce base. They add an addictive flavour to the dish that is at once sweet and sour; though, as with pla rah, you want to be sure you are eating them somewhere that you can count on their freshness in order to avoid a bout of stomach upsets.
Goong Ten
Goog Ten (means Dancing Shrimps) is an assortment of raw baby shrimps, spices and seasoning. You can imagine eating some and feeling the shrimps jumping out of your mouth.
Larb Mote Daeng (Red Ant Eggs)
If ants ever make their way into your food, your first thought usually is not, ‘I should eat this.’ However, red ants do make an appearance on Thailand’s culinary scene in dishes such as Larb Mote Daeng, or Red Ants Eggs. This dish is a combination of both ants and ant eggs, and is very popular.
Stink beans
These southern Thai favourites looking somewhat akin to broad beans, but they pack a pungent stench, hence the English name, and deep flavour. They are commonly stir-fried with pork, or seafood like fresh prawns, along with just as flavor some shrimp paste and a concoction of southern spices like fresh turmeric. They might pack a scented punch, but stink beans are irresistible!
Pig brain soup
This particularly out-there dish is a peppery, texture-rich broth of Chinese origin. As well as meaty pig brain, you will find everything from pork balls to offal and fried fish skin packed in. Tucking into a bowl of tom samong moo is a real experience in itself; there is no denying it is a different dish, and another one you will not see within a million miles of a tourist menu, but it is worth hunting down and trying if you are feeling brave.