Live weevil larvae drenched in a spicy sauce were served in shot glasses at a fair in Thailand.

The gut-turning delicacy was being sold at a street stall in Ayutthaya province on January 12.

Footage shows the plump, maggot-like insects undulating as they soaked in chili sauce, with some of the grubs trying to crawl out of their containers.

Stall owner Modtanoi Taseefah said: 'It costs only 20 THB (around 0.6 USD) for each shot. Most people think it's creepy but it is actually tasty.

'The larvae were bred in a farm and fed with fruits. They are quite healthy.'

Palm weevils have emerged as a low-carbon and cheaper alternative to traditional protein sources.

The destructive pests - known to cause devastation in palm plantations - are less resource-intensive to breed and have been described as having a 'sweet' and 'creamy' flavour.