Foreign vloggers visiting India often share videos of their local food adventures. Videos about them discovering the deliciousness of famous treats like vada pav, chaat items, jalebis, dosas, and more have frequently gone viral on social media. However, one foreign tourist recently decided to try a niche delicacy during his travels around North East India. He tasted spiders in Nagaland and took to Instagram to share his take on the same. The now-viral video was shared by Alex Wanders, a travel vlogger from the UK.
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The clip began with Alex sharing a glimpse of a small bowl filled with what seem to be jet black strands. They are actually parts of spiders. "It reminds me of the Indian snack sev, which is like crunchy noodles. It looks quite similar," says Alex. He picks up a portion of the spiders, braces himself and then puts them in his mouth. After biting into the delicacy and feeling the "crunch," Alex's expression suggests he didn't like what he ate. His verdict: "It's absolutely disgusting." He rates it 2/10. Watch the viral video below:
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In the comments, many people from Nagaland were impressed that Alex tried the delicacy when they themselves had never tasted it. Some suggested better ways to eat it. A few criticised Alex's negative take. Read some of the reactions below:
"I'm a naga but I never had that. Once I was so shocked when my father was cooking it, but I would love to try it someday."
"Thanks Alex for ruining the SEV for me."
"Deep frying the spider and eating them with Rs 1 tomato sauce is the best."
"You should have given 0 out of 10... I don't eat either and I'm also from Nagaland but that looks so toasted/fried...too much."
"It's actually an acquired taste type of thing... you have to like keep eating it to actually appreciate the taste."
"You are eating a poorly cooked one. The best taste is remove the legs, smash them and make chutney with chilli, salt and tomato."
"Me being a Naga myself, I've never tasted it, but you have. Awesome!"
"I'm a Naga and would never eat that! But thanks for doing it for the team!"
Spiders, along with certain other insects, are traditionally eaten in Nagaland. The cuisine is often associated with foods that may be considered unusual, which has led to stereotypes about the same. However, it's important to note that not everyone from the region consumes these items. It's a personal choice and one that is rooted in local heritage.