Bamboo Worms

Inside this packet you will find between 30 to 40 bamboo worms. These worms are importing directly from Thailand where they have been collected by the hands of skilled workers. They should be consumed within 12 months after being packaged.

Bamboo worms: protein intake like crazy!

Our Omphisa Fuscidentalis, the most commonly known species of bamboo worms, are in fact the caterpillar of a night butterfly belonging to the Crambidae family. This edible insect lives in bamboo groves located in northern Thailand, Laos and Burma as well as in the Chinese province of Yunnan. People from this area are view these worms as a highly appreciated delicacy.

What are they?

Bamboo worms are white and can measure up to 3,5 - 4 cm long. After a few months in this stage, bamboo worms become beautiful butterflies with orange-brown wings and black stripes. Their life expectancy is quite short and they live only up to two months, July and August – enough time to grow, mate and die.

The larvae hatch after 12 days and immediately start digging a small hole inside a bamboo branch in order to feed from the pulp of this plant.

After 45-60 days, the larvae become mature and they enter in a phase of prolonged sleep, which will last approximately 8 months. This long period known as diapause is exceptional for tropical insects. It is most likely caused by the peculiar climate in these regions. Regions which are witness to important increases of temperature and humidity, affecting extarnal food sources and their availability for the larvaes. Bamboo worms are then collected during this period.

Our bamboo worms come from Thailand

In Asia, consuming insects is quite common for many people. In Thailand for instance, almost 200 different species are consumed daily and some of them are highly appreciated, such as the bamboo worms.

Thai people are crazy about them in fact, especially children who munch them like they would chips. They are considered a delicacy and are collected during a very a specific period. Which is the reason why their price is so high. Mountain villagers are spending three whole days each month in the forest, during the moonsoon seaso,n in order to collect this gold.

The culinary Thai term coining this mouth-watering delicacy is "bamboo worm", but thanks to its appearance, it is often called “rotduan”, which means “express train” and they usually eat it fried.

An edible insect packed with many nutritional values

Bamboo worms are an important source of proteins, like all edible insects. In 100 gr of bamboo worms you find 30g of proteins. Their energy value can go up to 430 calories per 100 gr.

It is really amazing that bamboo worms can pack such impressive energy and nutritional values, higher than the energy value of beef or fish, really. But you now understand why bamboo worms are one of the most appreciated insect for entomophagous people (people consuming insects as food)!