At a small village not far from Don Khone, I was given a long bamboo pole with a basket tied to one end. I was told to raise the basket up under a tree branch, beneath an ants’ nest, and shake vigorously. Hundreds of ants fell into the basket, but many dozens landed on my head and down my shirt — I was bitten everywhere! It was the first time I could honestly say I had ‘ants in my pants’! After the stinging subsided, I scooped the red ants and their larvae into a bucket of cold water. They were washed, strained, then tossed into this salad. As the ants dried off, they came back to life and tried to crawl out of the salad bowl. I was told I had to eat them alive. One bit the inside of my mouth as I took a bite — but the eggs were a textural delight, popping as I bit into them. This salad was one of the most exciting and craziest dishes that I’ve ever made and eaten in South-East Asia. Loved it!