KMK: Bundaegi

Bundaegi happens to be one of those things that make me cringe. I’ve lived here for over two years and still I have not steeled my stomach, girded my loins or mustered my courage to try some of those beastly little critters.

You see, dear readers, bundaegi happens to be cooked silkworm larvae. Usually the pupae is roasted, but I have seen it being cooked up on the street with steam and boiled. Yum! The smell alone keeps me at five foot distance. The smell leaves my face scrunched up with one eye popping out. Think of dead roadkill laid out on a sweltering summer day on the black tar highway road and that won’t even come close the foul reek in the air.

But since I am in Korea and it is a beloved snack of the young and old I will, someday, get one in my mouth. I’ll be sure to have a bottle of soju handy. If you’re feeling more adventurous than I then you can find bundaegi at your nearest street food vendor. Be sure to report back after you take the plunge.