Edible Insects: Which Bugs Are Eaten and Where
People eat some weird things, but nothing is quite as strange as edible insects. Yep, the creepy crawly things you try to keep out of your house are a regular item on some people’s plates. There’s even an official name for insect eating – entomophagy.
At one time it would have been unheard of to find any place in America that sold insects for people to eat. But influences from countries around the world are starting to sneak in to our own cuisine.
Here are some edible insects and the countries where they are regularly consumed.
List of Countries and the Insects They Eat
Bugs are regularly eaten in 80% of the countries around the world. If you plan an overseas trip to any of the places below insects are sure to be on the menu.
Agave worm – Mexico
You may have heard of these worms living in tequila bottles, a practice that used to be very common for tequila makers to prove their beverage was high in alcohol content.
Ants – China, Australia, Columbia, Brazil
The good thing for human anteaters is because they live in colonies they are easy to gather. Plus, lots of American kids are already raising ant farms.
Bee Larvae and Adults – China, India, Africa
We already eat their honey so chowing down on the insects that make it isn’t a huge leap.
Centipedes – China, Central Africa
Unlike other insects there’s quite a bit to chew on when you eat a centipede.
Cicadas – Thailand, Malaysia, Japan
These noisy bugs are found all over the eastern part of the U.S. in the summer so they could be a serious food source in Alabama.
Cockroaches – Thailand
Hard to believe, but unlike us Americans that never want to see a cockroach, some people consider them a delicacy.
Crickets – Cambodia, Thailand, Mexico
In a country that loves to eat bugs, the cricket is probably the most popular in Thailand.
Grasshoppers – Thailand, Japan
These little guys pack in a lot of protein, which makes them one of the healthiest snacks like roasted to perfection.
Locusts – Mexico
They can wipe out crops so eating locusts actually protects other food sources.
Mealworms – The Netherlands
In one of the few European countries to embrace the insect eating revolution, mealworms have become a normal protein source.
Moths – Australia
Lots of edible worms come from moths so it’s not a surprise that they make the insect menu as well.
Scorpions – China, Thailand
On a plate these stinging insects may be a little less intimidating to people that like crab – we’re told these taste like soft shells.
Termites – Ghana, Kenya
Unlike other bugs, termites are sometimes eaten raw. People in Kenya aren’t afraid to pluck them right off a mound and pop them in their mouth.
Wasp Larvae – Japan
Larvae of many variety of are considered a delicacy and wasps are no exception.
There are a lot more people in the world today, but we are still greatly outnumbered by bugs. With food shortages in some countries and the cost of other protein sources (cows) going up, groups like the UN Food and Agriculture Organization are encouraging people to become entomophagy eaters. They’ve even suggested that we should begin to raise bugs for food to keep up with the world population’s nutrition needs.
Just imagine it – in the future instead of an exterminator killing the critters that get in your house they could catch them for you to cook! But don’t go gathering insects around your house to try out. There are places like Thailand Unique that sell edible insects that are free of disease and pesticides if you want to give them a try.
Image Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entomophagy
Original Source: https://www.vulcantermite.com/healthy-living/edible-insects-which-bugs-are-eaten-and-where