Summary Feeling a little peckish? How about a big, crunchy spider? They're the specialty at the insect market in Skuon, Cambodia. Hundreds of people come every day for fried spiders, crickets and silk worms. Why not wash them down with some spider wine? Located 80 kilometres north of Phnom Penh, the village of Skuon attracts thousands of Cambodians and tourists to its main attraction: an insect market buzzing with activity. Gathered around a highway rest stop, some 200 vendors offer amazed customers trays heaping with bugs. Be sure to check out the foreigners taking selfies as they bite into the local specialty, fried spiders. Go on. Have a glass of spider wine, for courage. When plunged into rice wine, the spiders struggle and release their venom. Julie joins Mrs. Thy in preparing the strange potion, which is credited with many medicinal properties, including restoring men's vigour. And vigour is needed to hunt the spiders without getting bitten. A good hunter can catch up to 50 a day. Because the spiders feed on sap from tree roots, hunters need to seek their quarry in the local forests. In rural areas like this one, 17% of the population is undernourished. But research led by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization confirms that insects are very rich in protein. In addition to serving as snacks, they are an important source of income for a population with few opportunities. But this income source and the region's ecosystem are threatened by rampant deforestation that has been going on for several years. Some are now trying to manage insect supply problems by turning to breeding. We associate insect-eating with the survival of humanity. Now the question is whether our host will survive her spider tasting.

• Documentary