According to Wikipedia, fried spider is a regional snack in Cambodia. 

Spiders are also available elsewhere in Cambodia for tourists passing through the town. 

The specialty snack is prepared by first breeding the spiders in holes in the ground in villages north of Skuon, or collected through foraging in nearby forests, then fried in oil.

Although it is unclear when this custom began, some theorized that during the Khmer Rouge era, when food was scarce, the populace may have turned to eating spiders out of desperation.

The spiders are a type of tarantula that the Khmer language refers to as “a-ping,” and they are about the size of a human palm.  According to a travel guide, they are Haplopelma albostriatum, also known as the Thailand zebra leg tarantula and the ‘edible spider,” which has been their common name for more than a century.

However, the popularity of the dish is a more recent development, possibly beginning in the 1990s.

ALSO LOOK AT, FILE: Deep Fried Spiders.jpg

What is the method for making the snack?

The spiders are tossed in a mixture of MSG, sugar, and salt; crushed garlic is added and fried alongside the spiders until “the legs are completely stiff, and the contents of the abdomen are not so runny,” according to a recipe book.

The texture contrasts from a crispy exterior to a soft interior, and the taste has been described as bland tasting “rather like a cross between chicken and cod.” 

In contrast to the head and body, which have “a delicate white meat inside,” the legs contain little flesh.

However, the abdomen is frequently not eaten because it has a brown paste in it that contains organs, possibly eggs, and excrement.  It’s considered a delicacy by some, but others advise against eating it.

In Mexico, tarantulas have occasionally been served in tacos with guacamole.  The sale of many tarantula species for human consumption is prohibited by Mexican law, and vendors who offered this delicacy were shut down by the authorities.

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