ust the cricket: Eating insects is good for us and for the environment, scientists claim

www.thisislondon.co.uk ^ | June 2, 2008 | staff at www.thisislondon.uk

[givemELL]

Experts believe they could one day be marketed as a healthy alternative to fatty snacks.

In most of Europe, bug-eating is largely restricted to the belated realisation that there has been an unwelcome addition to the salad.

It is common elsewhere, however, with some 1,700 species of bug eaten in 113 countries.

In Taiwan, stir-fried crickets or sauteed caterpillars are delicacies. A plate of maguey worms - larvae of a giant butterfly - sells for £12.50 in smart Mexican restaurants.

Sago grubs wrapped in banana leaves go down well in Papua New Guinea, as does dragonfly in Bali.

In many parts of south-east Asia market stalls sell insects by the pound and deep-fried snacks are served up as street food.

Insects are arthropods, much like crab, shrimps and lobster which are all accepted by the European palate. In North Africa locusts are sometimes called sky prawns.

But Patrick Durst, of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, said that if consumers were to be tempted to broaden their culinary horizons the trick might be to make the bugs look more palatable.

'You need to get the food into a form where someone doesn't have to look the bug in the eye when they eat it,' he said.

Earlier this year the Food and Agriculture Organisation held a conference to discuss how entomophagy - eating insects as food - could contribute to sustainable development.

Bug-farming preserves forests - which are needed to attract insects - and is encouraged in some countries.

As for pesticides, some experts have pointed out the irony of using chemicals to get rid of bugs that are more nutritious than the crops they prey on.

In Thailand when pesticides failed to control locusts, the government urged locals to eat them and distributed recipes.

[givemELL]

We already get lots of 'black' specks, insect parts, in our instant grits packs already....we don't usually notice. The third world and military special forces have been onto this a long time. For a gagg, I used to see 'candied' ants and grasshoppers and crickets as a kid...they weren't bad. The stuff must still be around. Not affordable though. US cereal makers may take this seriously and offer us more bugs at even a higher price.....unnoticed bug flakes are currently free...noticed, advertised bugs will cost a pretty penny.

[Jeff Chandler]

I'm in.

[brytlea]

I've always wondered why western countries have found bugs unpalatable, while most other cultures eat some sort of worms/grubs/insects/etc. They would be a great source of cheap protein. However, like most Americans, I can't get past the idea (although I know we eat them every day in our prepared food—somehow it's not quite the same as eating stir fried crickets).
susie

[BibChr]

Are they low-carb?

[wolfcreek]

I’m holding out until I can’t afford to go the the grocery store.

Actually had a friend who wanted me to start a bug farm with him.

[isrul]

May I suggest the staff at “thisislondon” partake in a steaming bowel of feces?

[the_devils_advocate_666]

“ust” you, too!

[xcamel]

Me too!

[fanfan]

Foodie ping.

(of a sort)

[massgopguy]

Maybe one day the United States of America will be on the cover of National Geographic.

[xcamel]

more to do with bugs being non-kosher than anytyhing...

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Back in 1958 on a tour of Thailand, my mom ordered Pud Thai, a noddle dish, in an upscale hotel in Bangkok. It was served with sauteed honeybees.

[wolfcreek]

“Earlier this year the Food and Agriculture Organisation held a conference to discuss how entomophagy - eating insects as food - could contribute to sustainable development.”

It’s a scam to outlaw meat.

[brytlea]

That explains it.
Of course, I don’t think bottom feeding seafood is kosher (crabs, shrimp) is it? We love that!
susie

[posterchild]

I’d expect that, based on anecdotal sidewalk and windshield observations, most insects have a low muscle to ‘guts’ ratio and I sure wouldn’t want to spend my time wielding a tiny fillet knife on such critters.

[Rebelbase]

Another environmental maxim declared in the attempt to revert civilization back to the stone age.

[Sacajaweau]

Yeh....I like my bugs BIG!!

[wendy1946]

What about crows? There’s no shortage of crows in America and there’s likely as much meat on a crow as there is on a game hen or small chicken...

[brytlea]

LOL
susie

[Beagle8U]

Crawdads is as close to bug as I’m willing to eat.

[Resolute Conservative]

Grasshopper, ants are okay but crickets are just nasty.

[Does so]

I recall reading that pepper content was allowed an 8% “insect parts” allowance by the FDA.

[Jeff Chandler]

What about crows?

Pigeons!

[AmericaUnited]

I recall reading that pepper content was allowed an 8% “insect parts” allowance by the FDA

Did you know that the FDA allows up to .002% rodent feces in things like hot dogs? I know this is true because once when I was working at a meat plant while a teenager, I watched an inspectio. The hot dog batch measured only .0015% and a 'mix chef' had to tap in a small amount from a jar to bring the batch up to spec...

Is it April 1 yet...?

[loungeSerf]

Ummmm, ummmm, sky prawns.

[petro45acp]

I’d go for the bug eating bit if I still had to forage in order to provide for my family. The fact that we don’t have to forage (useful skill-set to have in reserve though) means we can get our protein from much more reliable sources.

Of course if Alton Brown does a show preparing bugs other than those delectable lobster thingys, might have to try it.

[Just another Joe]

North America needs to get over it and let those that want to eat bugs.

They aren't that bad (Yes, I've eaten a number of them having spent 5 1/2 years in SE Asia when younger).

[Dianna]

North America needs to get over it and let those that want to eat bugs.

I wasn't aware that we've passed laws dictating what other people can eat.

Eat bugs if you wish, but unless I'm starving I'll keep going with my chips and other crap.

[TomGuy]

Mmmmm

Chewy



and Crunchy, too.

[Dianna]

I’m very proud of the fact that I didn’t scream.

Hmmm, can one scream and vomit at the same time? I'd think not, so I'm betting I wouldn't have screamed either.

[Cyber Liberty]

Our kitten “Shadow” is ahead of the curve on this. She is the urban equivalent of a “mouser.”

[Just another Joe]

I wasn't aware that we've passed laws dictating what other people can eat.

Yes, there ARE laws.

I wouldn't mind some chocolate covered grasshoppers from time to time.
I have eaten some strange things in my time. Some of them were good, some were awful, and some were like, "What's the big deal?".

My mother told us when we were young that if we didn't try things, we wouldn't know whether we liked them or not.

Hopefully, others take that advice also.

Chips are all right. Now chocolate, THERE'S the perfect food!

[Gator113]

Democrats better hope that this meat eater is never required to choose between a bug or a democrat. I recognize that both are similar, disgusting and revolting, but the former is too much work to collect and prepare.

Besides, bugs do serve a important purposes and have a value, unlike the useless pieces of wasted flesh, called democrats.

In a couple more years we will probably be burning democrats for fuel anyway, so I may be forced to try bugs. ;>)

[mirkwood]

[Gritty]

Why stop with bugs? There's lots of other "green" protein out there...

[Ladysmith]

No doubt. If others want to eat bugs, they can knock themselves out. I’ll stick to the good ol’ slab of beef, fowl, and fish.

[CougarGA7]

I’ll just stick to the bug parts that are in my processed foods.

[steveo]

I've always wondered why western countries have found bugs unpalatable,

Because we have a ready supply of hamburgers available?

In these same cultures, what do they do on special occasions? Cook themselves up some meat. If they could replace their animals easily, they'd consume them over bugs, bet on it.

[nicola_tesla]

Too crunchy, not much “meat”.

[brytlea]

Maybe, but why do we like sea critters and not land critters? (I’m speaking of the multilegged type of critter).
susie

[Killborn]

Nowadays if you try to order it with a side of honeybes, they’ll look at you like a crazy “farang”.