Korean actor closes eyes and sweats while eating coconut worms in Vietnam

(Dan Tri) - Putting aside his initial fear, Lee Kwang Soo still courageously tried coconut worms - an experience that helped him understand more about the boldness and richness of Vietnamese cuisine.

Korean actor Lee Kwang Soo, known as "Prince of Asia" from the reality TV show Running Man, has participated in many activities to promote the Vietnamese-Korean co-production film Tay Anh Giu Mot Sao .

Besides meeting fans, he also participated in events and experienced local cuisine . The moment that made him "sweat" was when he first tried coconut worms - a Western specialty that many people love.

Korean actor Lee Kwang Soo was surprised by Vietnam's unique food (Photo: Screenshot).

In the video posted by YouTuber MisThy (HCMC), the actor, along with Korean director Kim Sung-Hoon and actress Hoang Ha, enjoyed many special Hue dishes such as: Nem lui, young jackfruit salad with rice paper, mixed cakes, banh nam, banh bot loc, banh ram it, lotus leaf rice and lotus sweet soup.

The actor kept praising the food and said that many of the flavors were his first time enjoying. Near the end of the meal, the crew prepared a surprise for Lee Kwang Soo by placing a coconut worm dish on the table.

Coconut worm dish is a challenge for the actor (Photo: Screenshot).

Seeing the coconut worms still alive and wriggling in the fish sauce bowl, the actor thought it couldn’t be food. “They’re still moving,” he said, sounding a little panicked as he saw this strange Vietnamese dish for the first time.

To overcome his initial shyness, he played a game with director Kim Sung-Hoon, MisThy and actress Hoang Ha. The group then took turns eating coconut worms. YouTuber MisThy explained that this is a type of larva taken directly from the coconut tree and showed how to eat coconut worms to feel the most original, fatty taste.

The actor and director Kim Sung-Hoon were startled to see their Vietnamese friend eating coconut worms deliciously (Photo: Screenshot).

Next, director Kim Sung-Hoon and actor Hoang Ha tried this dish. The Korean director felt that this dish was similar to sashimi (thinly sliced ​​seafood, eaten raw). “If you come to Vietnam, everyone should try this dish, it's not bad,” the director said.

As the last person in the group, with the help of his fellow countryman director, Lee Kwang Soo also mustered up the courage to eat coconut worms.

He made a funny expression then swallowed it whole and did not dare to chew. The actor said that he completed the “challenge”, it was an unforgettable experience but he probably would not dare to try it a second time.

Actor Lee Kwang Soo's funny expression when eating coconut worms (Photo: Screenshot).

Coconut worms belong to the family Heliopsidae, order Coleoptera, and are widely distributed in coconut growing areas throughout the country. After the breeding season, they often choose healthy coconut trees, bore into the tops, and lay eggs inside.

The eggs hatch into larvae and grow by eating the coconut neck until they penetrate the coconut top. Coconut trees with rotten shoots that fall horizontally and wither are the ones that have the most coconut worms “hiding”. Coconut worms are dangerous pests to coconut trees and are strictly forbidden to breed.

Coconut worms contain high levels of protein and fat, and are considered a "healthy" food by the people, although for many people, just looking at them makes them shiver.

In Vietnam, this dish is considered a specialty with a selling price of about 500,000-800,000 VND/kg. Many culinary sites around the world rank coconut worms as one of the most horrifying dishes on the planet.

People in the West often process coconut worms in many ways such as: eating raw with fish sauce, grilling, steaming with sticky rice, stir-frying with salt...

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/tai-tu-han-quoc-nham-mat-toat-mo-hoi-khi-an-duong-dua-o-viet-nam-20251015104800332.htm