Most of us in the West are aware that humans have been eating insects for thousands of years. And we know that they are still eaten in many parts of the world today. In fact, about 2,000 insect species are eaten worldwide. So why are we still so squeamish about the idea of ingesting creepy crawlers ourselves?
In Thailand, fried grasshoppers are piled high and sold on street markets, and fried bugs are often served with beer, like nuts. Other favorites include woodworms, crickets, and maeng da, 3.5-inch water beetles.
In Ghana, when food is scarce in the spring when crops are being planted, termites are seen not merely as a food choice, but a means of survival. They are roasted, fried, or even ground into a flour for baking.
In Japan, wasp larvae are apparently a delicacy. In China, fine dining patrons enjoy roasted bee larvae and fried silkworm moth larvae, which are both rich in nutrients like copper, iron, riboflavin, thiamin and zinc.
My second son has just told me he sampled some delicious seasoned deep-friend crickets in Mexico.
The thing is, nutritional scientists tell us that we Westerners might need to get over our aversion to creeping culinary choices. It turns out that many of the critters are superfoods, nutrient-dense and high in protein and healthy fats. And with the prospect of food scarcity and climate change, insect farming could well be a part of our future.
