Eating Sago Worms: The Wriggling Sushi of Borneo (Taste & Guide)

Q: 1. What do sago worms taste like?

When eaten raw, sago worms have a creamy texture similar to coconut milk with a subtle sweetness. When cooked or fried, they taste savory and crisp, often compared to bacon or roasted pork fat due to their high content of healthy fats.

Q: 3. Are sago worms healthy to eat?

Absolutely. Sago worms are a nutritional powerhouse packed with protein and essential amino acids. They are also rich in healthy unsaturated fats, calcium, magnesium, and zinc, making them a sustainable “superfood” alternative to traditional meats.

Q: 4. Where is the best place to find sago worms in Sabah?

You can find fresh butod (sago worms) at local weekly markets known as “Tamu”, specifically the Donggongon Tamu in Penampang. For tourists preferring a restaurant setting, D’Place Kinabalu in Kota Kinabalu serves them both live (as sushi) and cooked (as pizza or stir-fry).

Eating Sago Worms: The Wriggling Sushi of Borneo

Imagine you are walking through a bustling open-air market in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. The air is thick with the scent of grilled fish, durian, and spicy sambal. You wander past stalls piled high with exotic fruits and vibrant vegetables. Then, you see it. A bright yellow plastic basin. Inside, dozens of plumps, creamy-yellow grubs are squirming over one another, their little orange heads bobbing rhythmically.

For the uninitiated traveler from New York, Singapore, or Sydney, this might look like bait for a fishing trip. But for the locals, this is a delicacy. These are sago worms, the “Wriggling Sushi of Borneo.”

While the idea of eating insects (entomophagy) is slowly gaining traction globally as a sustainable protein source, the people of Borneo have been ahead of the curve for centuries. If you are a culinary thrill-seeker or a traveler looking to understand the true heart of Bornean culture, you cannot ignore the sago worm.

In this guide, we will dive deep into the world of this squiggly superfood, exploring its cultural roots, its surprising nutritional value, and, most importantly, what it actually tastes like.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What do sago worms taste like?

When eaten raw, sago worms have a creamy texture similar to coconut milk with a subtle sweetness. When cooked or fried, they taste savory and crisp, often compared to bacon or roasted pork fat due to their high content of healthy fats.

2. Is it safe to eat sago worms raw?

Generally, yes. Sago worms are considered clean because they live exclusively inside the trunk of the Sago Palm and feed only on starchy pith, not waste. However, for hygiene purposes, it is recommended to wash them with clean water before consumption to remove any external debris from the market.

3. Are sago worms healthy to eat?

Absolutely. Sago worms are a nutritional powerhouse packed with protein and essential amino acids. They are also rich in healthy unsaturated fats, calcium, magnesium, and zinc, making them a sustainable “superfood” alternative to traditional meats.

4. Where is the best place to find sago worms in Sabah?

You can find fresh butod (sago worms) at local weekly markets known as “Tamu”, specifically the Donggongon Tamu in Penampang. For tourists preferring a restaurant setting, D’Place Kinabalu in Kota Kinabalu serves them both live (as sushi) and cooked (as pizza or stir-fry).

5. Do you eat the head of the sago worm?

No, you should not eat the head. The head of the sago worm is hard and contains a sharp beak that can nip or be difficult to chew. When eating them live, the standard method is to bite the body off just below the neck and discard the head.

What Exactly Are Sago Worm?

Before we talk about putting them in your mouth, let’s establish what sago worms actually are. They are the larvae of the Red Palm Weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus). While farmers in many parts of the world consider the adult weevil a pest because it burrows into palm trees, in Borneo, the larvae are prized gold.

These grubs feed exclusively on the starchy pith of the Sago Palm tree. Because their diet consists of pure carbohydrate-rich wood starch, they are incredibly clean. Unlike earthworms or bottom-feeding sea creatures, sago worms do not process waste or decay. They are essentially processing plants that turn palm starch into pure, high-quality fat and protein.

A mature sago worm is about the size of a human thumb—plump, segmented, and creamy white or yellow. They are harvested just before they begin their metamorphosis into beetles, which is when their fat content is at its peak.

The “Butod” Phenomenon

In Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, you will rarely hear locals strictly use the English term. Here, they are affectionately known as “Butod.” The word itself has become synonymous with being plump; you might even hear a local jokingly call a chubby baby a “butod.”

When you search for authentic butod sabah experiences, you are looking for more than just a snack; you are looking for a connection to the land. The lifecycle of the butod is tied intimately to the lifecycle of the sago palm, a tree that has sustained indigenous communities for generations.

The Cultural Heartbeat: A Kadazandusun Traditional Food

To dismiss sago worms as merely “gross-out food” for tourists is to ignore their deep cultural significance. They are a staple of Kadazandusun traditional food, representing the culinary heritage of Sabah’s largest indigenous ethnic group.

A Celebration Delicacy

In the past, sago worms were not an everyday snack. Harvesting them required felling a sago palm and waiting months for the weevils to lay eggs and the larvae to mature. Therefore, eating them was often reserved for special occasions.

Today, they are a highlight during the Pesta Kaamatan (Harvest Festival). During this month-long celebration in May, families gather, rice wine (tapai) flows freely, and platters of sago worms are served to honor guests. Offering a guest a live butod is a sign of respect and hospitality. Refusing it is acceptable if you are squeamish, but trying it earns you instant respect from the elders.

Survival and Sustenance

For the indigenous people living in the interior of Sabah, butod sabah was a vital source of survival nutrition. In the dense rainforests where hunting wild boar could be unpredictable, the sago palm provided a reliable source of carbohydrates (sago flour) and protein (the worms). It is a perfect example of a closed-loop food system that Western sustainability experts are only now trying to replicate.

The Nutritional Breakdown: Why You Should Eat Them

If you can get past the mental hurdle of eating a bug, your body will thank you. Sago worms are a nutritional powerhouse.

According to research on edible insects, these larvae are packed with:

Protein: They contain a high amount of amino acids essential for muscle repair.
Healthy Fats: They are rich in unsaturated fatty acids, similar to the healthy fats found in fish or olive oil.
Minerals: They provide significant amounts of calcium, magnesium, and zinc.

In a world looking for alternative proteins to reduce the carbon footprint of cattle farming, sago worms present a compelling argument. They require a fraction of the water and land that beef does to produce the same amount of protein. When you partake in butod makanan sabah (Sabah’s butod food culture), you are technically engaging in one of the most eco-friendly diets on the planet.

Beyond the Bite: The Lifecycle of the Sago Palm

To truly appreciate sago worms, one must appreciate the host: the Sago Palm (Metroxylon sagu). This tree is the “Tree of Life” for many indigenous groups in Borneo, including the Melanau in Sarawak and the Kadazan-Dusun in Sabah.

The relationship between the palm and the worm is a delicate balance. The beetle only infests the tree when it is damaged or after it has been felled. Farmers often purposefully fell a mature sago palm that has already been harvested for its starch, leaving the stump to rot. This rotting stump becomes the perfect nursery for the beetles to lay their eggs.

Approximately two to three months later, the farmer returns. He places his ear against the trunk. If he hears a faint scratching or chewing sound from inside, he knows the crop is ready. It is nature’s timer. The harvesting process involves splitting the tough bark of the palm with an axe to reveal the labyrinth of tunnels inside, teeming with fat sago worm.

This method of semi-cultivation ensures that the butod sabah supply is sustainable. It utilizes the waste product of the sago flour industry (the stump and trunk), turning agricultural waste into high-value protein.

The Taste Test: What Do Sago Worm Taste Like?

This is the question on everyone’s lips: “But is it gross?”

The answer might surprise you. Most people who summon the courage to try sago worms find the flavor surprisingly pleasant. The challenge is almost entirely textural.

1. The Raw Experience (The “Sushi”)

When eaten live, the experience is intense.

Texture: As you bite down, the skin “pops” like a cherry tomato or a grape. The inside is creamy and viscous, instantly coating your tongue.
Flavor: It does not taste like a bug. It tastes like coconut milk mixed with a hint of vanilla or raw sweetness. Because the sago worms have spent their lives eating palm starch, they take on a creamy, nutty profile. There is no bitterness.

2. The Cooked Experience

If having something wriggle on your tongue is too much, cooked sago worm are delicious.

Texture: The skin crisps up beautifully, similar to the skin of a roast chicken or a prawn. The inside melts, resembling the texture of cooked bone marrow or scrambled eggs.
Flavor: Fried butod tastes remarkably like bacon or crispy pork fat. When stir-fried with soy sauce and chilies, they absorb the savory flavors, making them an excellent accompaniment to beer or rice wine.

How to Eat Sago Worms: A Step-by-Step Guide

If you find yourself in a Kadazandusun traditional food restaurant or a local market, here is how to tackle the challenge like a pro.

Level 1: The Stir-Fry (Beginner)

Order them stir-fried with soy sauce, garlic, and chili. They will arrive looking like crispy nuggets.

Pick one up with your chopsticks.
Bite it in half.
Enjoy the savory, bacon-like crunch.
Verdict: Easy and delicious. You will likely forget you are eating a worm.

Level 2: The Pizza (Intermediate)

Yes, Sago Worm Pizza exists! Places like D’Place Kinabalu in Kota Kinabalu have popularized this fusion dish.

The sago worms are usually roasted and placed atop cheese and dough.
The cheese masks the texture, and the savory worm acts like a pepperoni substitute.
Verdict: A great gateway drug into the world of entomophagy.

Level 3: The Live Challenge (Expert)

This is the true “Wriggling Sushi” experience.

Pick it up: Hold the sago worm by its hard, orange head. It will be squirming strong—they are muscular little guys.
The Dip: Some locals dip the body in a little lime juice and chili, or purely into soy sauce (hence the sushi comparison).
The Bite: Place the body in your mouth, leaving the head outside your lips. Bite down firmly just below the head to sever it. Do not eat the head—it is hard and can nip you.
Discard the head: Toss the head away.
Chew: Chew the creamy body. Do not swallow it whole; savor the coconut creaminess.
Verdict: You have earned your badge of honor as a true traveler.

Where to Find Butod in Sabah

You won’t find sago worm in the frozen aisle of your local supermarket in Sydney or San Francisco. You need to go to the source.

1. Donggongon Tamu (Penampang)

This is the legendary market of the Kadazandusun people. Located about 20 minutes from Kota Kinabalu city center, this market is the epicenter of butod sabah trade.

Best time to go: Thursday or Friday mornings.
What to look for: Look for the “Tamu” (market) signs. Vendors sit on low stools with basins of live worms. You can buy them in small bags (usually 10 to 20 worms) for a few Ringgit.

2. D’Place Kinabalu

For a more sanitized, restaurant-style environment, this is the go-to spot. They specialize in Kadazandusun traditional food and present it in a way that is accessible to tourists. This is where you can find the famous Butod Pizza or brave the live worm challenge in a comfortable, air-conditioned setting.

3. Cultural Villages (Mari Mari or Monsopiad)

If you visit the Mari Mari Cultural Village, a standard stop on many Sabah tour itineraries, they often demonstrate the harvesting of sago worms. You will see how they chop the fallen logs and dig out the larvae. It is an educational way to see the “farm-to-table” process of butod makanan sabah.

The "Ew" Factor: Overcoming the Mental Block

It is perfectly normal to feel hesitation. In Western cultures, insects are associated with decay or dirt. However, it helps to reframe your perspective. Sago worm are cleaner than prawns/shrimp (which are bottom feeders) and crabs.

When you search for butod makanan sabah on social media, you will see countless videos of travelers screaming, laughing, and eventually enjoying the experience. It is a communal activity. The shared adrenaline of eating a live bug bonds people together.

Furthermore, eating sago worms supports the local economy. The harvesters are often small-scale farmers who rely on the sago palm for their livelihood. By purchasing butod, you are directly supporting indigenous agriculture and preserving a unique aspect of Kadazandusun traditional food culture.

Sustainability and the Future of Food

Why should an Australian or American care about a worm in Borneo? Because sago worm represent the future. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has been urging the world to look toward insects as a solution to food insecurity.

Cattle farming produces massive amounts of methane and requires immense amounts of water. Sago worms, conversely, thrive on starch and convert energy efficiently. In Sabah, the sago palm grows naturally in swampy areas that are unsuitable for other crops, meaning no forests need to be cleared for their production.

When you eat butod sabah, you are essentially beta-testing the future of global nutrition. You are stepping out of the industrial food chain and into a sustainable, natural cycle.

Tips for First-Timers

If you have decided to take the plunge and try sago worms, here are a few final tips to ensure your experience is memorable for the right reasons:

Fresh is Best: If you are buying them raw at a market, ensure they are lively and moving vigorously. Sluggish or discolored worms might be dead and should be avoided.
Wash Them: If you buy them from a market to cook at your Airbnb, rinse them in clean water. They are naturally clean, but they have been crawling over each other.
Start Cooked: There is no shame in starting with a deep-fried butod. The crunch makes it much easier to handle than the squish of a raw one.
Capture the Moment: This is a bucket-list item. Have your camera ready. The look on your face the moment the skin “pops” is a souvenir you will want to keep.

Conclusion: Are You Brave Enough?

Travel is about pushing boundaries. It is about stepping out of the comfort of burgers and pasta and tasting the world as the locals do. Sago worms are more than just a shock-value snack; they are a testament to the resourcefulness of the Bornean people and a delicious, nutritious gift from the rainforest.

Whether you try them as part of a Kadazandusun traditional food feast, sample them as butod sabah street food, or research them under the guise of butod makanan sabah for your food blog, the experience will stay with you forever.

So, the next time you find yourself in the humid, vibrant jungles of Borneo, don’t shy away from the yellow bowl. Pick up a sago worm, look it in the eye (or where the eye would be), and take a bite. It might just be the creamiest, most surprising piece of sushi you have ever had.

Ready to plan your culinary adventure to Sabah? Pack your appetite and your courage—the jungle is waiting.