This food is not for everyone, it is steamed baby wasps wrapped with banana leaves. You've been warned. 😉
One day when I was in the north Bali in parents in law's house, a nephew came and brought something that caught my attention. "What is that?" I asked.
It was wasp hive, he replied.
I was a bit surprised. I know that you can eat bee hives. I have seen bee hives for sale in our local market, but I have never seen people eating wasp hive.
The nephew and my father in-law sat down on the bale (a traditional living room) and began picking the baby wasps one by one from the hive. Each of those baby wasps would then go into a plate. They seemed to enjoy picking the baby wasps.
When the finish picking the baby wasps into the plate, then they go to the kitchen. My wife (who probably ate this kind of "delicacy" long time ago in this house, even before I knew her) wrapped the baby wasp with the a banana leaf. But before wrapping it, she already added some chopped chilli, a spoon full of coconut oil, a pinch of salt, and and squeeze of lime. She put the wrapping on a steaming pan, and began heating the pan over a gas stove.
Twenty minutes later, it's ready.
I was very curious as my wife unwrap the baby wasps and place them on a plate. I took the plate and gave it to the nephew. He tried a little bit and I just look at his expression. I thought he would say, "it tastes like chicken.", but he just said, "enak!" (delicious).
Later, my nephew, my niece, and father in law had the "special" steamed baby wasps wrapped in banana leaves with rice for lunch. They seemed to enjoy their lunch. Good for them 😅