Deep-fried flower spiders

Deep-fried flower spiders

　　Deep-fried flower spiders are a distinctive dish of the Blang ethnic group in Yunnan. The flower spider, scientifically known as the Araneus ventricosus, often lives in mountain forests and spins webs among the trees. It is larger than common spiders and covered with white floral spots, hence its name. They are best caught during summer and autumn. These spiders have detoxifying properties and can treat lymph node tuberculosis, boils, bee or scorpion stings, and venomous snake bites. When cooked and fried, they emit a rich aroma and are even more delicious than fried silkworm pupae.

　　Flower spiders live in high-altitude forests and often spin webs among the trees. They are larger than common spiders, about the size of a little finger, and covered with irregular floral spots. Their plump bellies are filled with milky-white fluid, rich in protein and containing alkaline protease, which gives them detoxifying functions. They can be used to treat boils, lymph node tuberculosis, bee or scorpion stings, and venomous snake bites. In folk medicine, for treating venomous snake bites, a live spider is placed directly on the wound to suck out the venom, which can reduce swelling. Flower spiders are mostly caught during summer and autumn. When people go up the mountains or work in the fields, they wrap the spiders’ webs around branches to trap the flower spiders inside. The spiders are then boiled in hot water to kill them, drained of moisture, and dried for storage.

　　The method of making deep-fried flower spiders is actually quite simple. One way is to remove the heads and legs of the freshly caught spiders, using only their round abdomens as the ingredient. After rinsing, they are placed in a wok and gently fried over low heat until the abdomens turn yellow, then seasoned with an appropriate amount of salt before serving. Another method is to briefly soak dried flower spiders in hot water to soften them, then rinse and clean them, removing the heads and legs. Heat oil in a pan and slowly fry the spiders over low heat until they turn orange-yellow—they are then ready to eat. They are extremely tasty, just as fragrant and delicious as deep-fried bee pupae.

　　Deep-fried flower spiders, all about the size of a little finger, are highly nutritious and easy to cook. They are crispy but not burnt, lightly yellow in color, with an exotic fragrance, tender and delicious meat, pleasantly crunchy, leaving a lingering aftertaste. It is a uniquely flavored and extraordinary delicacy of China’s ethnic minorities.