Highland Specialty · Ants & Beef Stir-Fry

Red Tree Ants with Beef

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The ants are gathered live from nests in the surrounding forest and stir-fried whole — their sharp, citrusy bite is the dish's whole point, not an afterthought.

Red tree ants foraged from forest nests are stir-fried together with sliced beef, garlic, lemongrass, and chili, the ants contributing a tart, almost lemony pop against the richness of the meat. It's a specialty dish served at markets and restaurants around Banlung in Ratanakiri province.

Why it's made this way: The dish reflects Ratanakiri's highland forest ingredients and the foraging traditions of the province's ethnic minority communities, who have long incorporated forest insects into everyday cooking.

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Part of World of Street Food — 3248 dishes from 118 countries. Something wrong here? Tell us in the comments below. Photo credits.