Rice Worms

Laos is known for its strange and bizarre cuisine and so when we mentioned to Jyoti that we would  give her a taste of rice worms for lunch, she wasn't taken aback. Our mention of 'rice worms' implied the sweet Lao snack, "nam wan" or sweet water. The 'rice worms' weren't worms at all, but rather made from brightly colored rice flour, squeezed into a small 'worm' shape. These 'rice worms' swim with tapioca, pumpkin, corn, beans or cantaloupe in a sugary, coconut milk and ice soup. Nam wan is a classic Lao treat on a hot day and has earned from us the nickname "rice worm soup."

"Rice Worm Soup"

Jeffrey purchased two small bags of 'rice worms' to share, which we ate for dessert after lunch. Unbeknownst to us, Jyoti was completely convinced that she was eating real worms. She slowly ate her portion and even took a photo of her soup with her iPhone (to share later on Facebook). She asked, "Are they green before they are cooked?" Kaarina answered that sometimes they are pink too. Jyoti kept saying, "Well its not too bad...just mind over matter! I'll just eat a little more and then you can finish it."

The Never-to-be Facebook Upload

It wasn't until she asked, "Do you chew them or just swallow?" that we began to really think that something was amiss. Jeffrey responded by asking, "Well do you chew gummy bears or gummy worms?" Jyoti answered, "Yeah, but those aren't real worms!"

All at the same time we realized that Jyoti was completely convinced that she had been eating real rice worms! While she didn't eat real worms this time, Jyoti has mastered the psychological part of eating worms.