The first time i had insects as snacks was in Yunnan, China and i could still remember the tasty deep fried honey bees that burst with sweetness as i bit through them!
Since then, i am actually quite accepting when it comes to fried insects but i do have my limits which were tested when i went to Shenzhen from Hong Kong for a day trip and chanced upon the above stall in this food arena at Laojie (literally means old street).
Beautifully displayed with exquisite looking bowls housing sticks of delicacies, i took a glance to see what i should try but there were so many to choose from; e.g. scorpions, spiders, centipedes and even seahorses and starfishes!
Skewered like Tanghulu (糖葫芦), i found them too large to stomach although i could still make do with the smaller worms. The problem was when i laid my eyes on the above; sea snakes.... That's sufficient to make my stomach turn and i knew there's no way i could have eaten anything else from the stall.
For the benefit of those who are still keen to try when they are in Shenzhen's Laojie, you may refer to the price list appended above. Prices are in RMB.