A-ping is Cambodia's deep-fried tarantula - palm-sized spiders fried crisp with garlic and salt, a snack thought to have spread during Khmer Rouge-era famine and now sold by the basket.
About A Ping
A Ping is one of Cambodia's most beloved dishes, representing the rich culinary tradition of the region.
Cambodia's Spider Snack
A-ping, deep-fried tarantula, is Cambodia's most notorious snack, associated above all with the town of Skuon on the road between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. Palm-sized spiders are seasoned with garlic and salt and deep-fried until the legs are crisp and the body soft. They are sold by the basketful to passing travellers and locals alike.
“A-ping, deep-fried tarantula, is Cambodia's most notorious snack, associated above all with the town of Skuon on the road between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.”
From Hardship to Delicacy
Eating spiders is widely thought to have spread during the desperate famine of the Khmer Rouge years, when people ate whatever they could find to survive. It endured afterwards as a snack and a curiosity rather than fading away. That difficult history is part of how a-ping is understood today.
How It Tastes
A fried tarantula is crunchy on the outside, from the crisp legs and shell, and meatier and softer in the body. The garlic and salt season it much like any fried snack, and the texture surprises those who expect something unpleasant. It is eaten in pieces, often starting with a crisp leg.
Skuon and Beyond
Skuon is the spider capital, its market lined with vendors holding up trays of glistening fried tarantulas, but a-ping turns up at markets and bus stops across the region. For many visitors it is a dare as much as a meal, a rite of passage on the road. Bought fresh from a busy, fast-turning stall, it is at its best.
What to Expect
At the roadside market in Skuon, vendors hold up trays of glistening fried tarantulas, legs crisp and bodies meaty. Trying one is a classic Cambodian dare, the garlic-salt crunch giving way to a soft centre that surprises those brave enough to bite.
Why Try It
It is Cambodia's most famous edible curiosity, born of hard times and now a roadside snack and rite of passage for adventurous eaters.
Insider Tips
- The town of Skuon, on the road between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, is the spider capital.
- Start with a crisp leg before tackling the softer body, an easier route for the nervous.
- Buy from busy stalls where the spiders are freshly fried and turning over quickly.
