Education and language education and in Thailand

This column is for self
study or classroom use and gives guided help with reading the wide variety of writing styles and topics that appear as feature articles in the Bangkok Post. The lessons include background information, skill
building practice and vocabulary explanations.

November 20, 2007

I'll take three

INTRODUCTION

The food source in this story is probably strange to Western readers, but it won't be so strange to readers living here in Thailand where fried bugs are often available on the streets. Maybe you'll get some ideas for cooking local insects from the story.

OUR STORY FROM THE BANGKOK POST

If you find this picture yucky, you've never tried 'rod duan', the northern delicacy made from the larvae of the 'Omphisa fuscidentalis' moth, which lives inside bamboo shoots. — PONGPET MEKLOY

Anyone want a moth omelet?

A ''munch a moth'' campaign is being launched in Australia in a bid to eliminate the moths that are plaguing many parts of the country. The campaign is being led by Jean Paul Bruneteau, 51, a French-born chef and pioneer of such delights as smoked emu, lemon myrtle and bunya nuts. ''The moths have a lovely popcorn flavor, like hazelnuts,'' he said. Bruneteau suggests pulling off the ''furry'' wings, then popping the moths in the oven for three minutes in a splash of canola oil. Alternatively, the chef recommends putting them through a coffee blender and sprinkling the resulting powder into an omelet, pancake or crepe. Each year at this time millions of the moths fly south from Queensland to New South Wales to avoid the summer heat, and the pests may get blown into suburban homes. One minor problem with eating the moths is their fat content. One study found that three ounces of "Bogong" moth abdomens contains three times as much fat as a Big Mac.

omelet
a hot dish of eggs mixed together and fried; often with cheese, meat and vegetables added
munch
to eat steadily and often noisily, especially something crisp
eliminate
to get rid of
plaguing
causing problems, especially for a long period of time
campaign
a series of planned activities intended to achieve a particular goal
pioneer
a person who is the first to study, develop or do something
delights
things that give you great pleasure
emu
a large Australian bird that can run fast, but can not fly
myrtle
a bush with shiny leaves and pink or white flowers
bunya
a large nut that grows from a type of tree found in Australia
splash
a small amount of liquid
alternatively
a second possibility
sprinkling
dropping a small amount of a substance onto something
crepe
a thin pancake
abdomen
the end part of an insect's body

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