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About The Asian reporter. (Portland, Or.) 1991-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 2014)
The Asian Reporter Pacific Northwest News q Volume 24 Number 17 q September 1, 2014 q www.asianreporter.com Edible insects a boon to Thailand’s farmers Poachers threaten lesser-known animals Page 3 Man with piercings denied entry to Dubai Page 4 CRISPY CRITTERS. Boontham Puthachat (not seen), 47, holds a two-month-old cricket he’s raising at his farm in Thanon Nang Klarn village in Nakhon Ratchasima province, northeastern Thailand. Boontham’s family is one of 30 in his village raising mounds of the profitable crisp and crunchy critters in their backyards, satisfying a big domestic appetite for edible insects, and a slowly emerging international one in countries where most diners would rather starve than sample fried grasshoppers or omelets studded with red ant eggs. (AP Photo/Apichart Weerawong) By Denis D. Gray The Associated Press T Instant noodles: Friend or foe? Page 5 HANON NANG KLARN, Thailand — Depending solely on the rains to either yield a good rice crop or leave their fields dry and barren, farmers in the village of Thanon Nang Klarn in north- eastern Thailand, the country’s poorest region, led a precarious and backbreaking existence. Then they discovered bugs. At Boontham Puthachat’s home, six con- crete pens seethe with crickets munching on chicken feed, pumpkins, and other vegetables — treats to fatten them before they are harvested and sold to hungry humans increasingly eager for a different type of dining experience. “We haven’t become rich, but now we have enough to better take care of our families,” Boontham says proudly. “We are self-sufficient.” Boontham’s family is one of 30 in the village raising mounds of the profitable crisp and crunchy critters in their back- yards, satisfying a big domestic appetite for edible insects, and a slowly emerging international one in countries where most diners would rather starve than sample fried grasshoppers or omelets studded with red ant eggs. Replicated across the country, these enterprises have spawned a multimillion- dollar industry with more than 20,000 registered farms, most of them small-scale Meet Dr. James Chan Your trusted Facial Plastic Surgeon Resource household operations, according to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Averaging an annual output of 7,500 tons in recent years, Thailand leads the world in producing insects for the dining table. While it may still seem exotic, if not outright repulsive, to many in the western world, the FAO points out that insects have long been an integral part of human diets in nearly 100 countries, particularly in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, with more than 1,600 species consumed. In China, the use of insects for food and medicine goes back more than 5,000 years. In recent times, cockroach farming has Continued on page 4 Overwhelmed by debt? Want a fresh start? KELLY K. BROWN Specializing in: BANKRUPTCY ATTORNEY s Asian Faces s Asian Eyelid Surgery s Facial Plastic Surgery s Rhinoplasty 503·224·4124 www.kellybrown.com ★ LOW-COST BANKRUPTCY ★ Free consultation ★ Stop foreclosure and garnishment ★ Evening and weekend appointments Look your best! You’ve earned it! 520 SW Yamhill · Suite 420 · Portland 97204 · We are a debt relief agency. We help people file for bankruptcy under the Bankruptcy Code. Call today for a consultation: (503) 953-1230 The Asian Reporter 922 N. Killingsworth St. Portland, OR 97217 USA PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID Portland, OR Permit # 2474 CONGRATULATIONS TO THE ASIAN REPORTER FOUNDATION’S 2014 AWARD RECIPIENTS! Our special banquet issue recognizing the efforts and accomplishments of area Asian Americans is available online at <www.asianreporter.com>. SPiLt ink Gallery Acrylic Colour Pencil Graphite Oil Pen & Ink Watercolour Pets w Holidays w Special Occasions w Just for Fun www.spiltinkgallery.com (503) 442-6427