The Bizarre World of Edible Insects

Would you eat an insect? It might surprise you to learn you already have and didn't even know it. They say a single individual may consume as many as a pound of insects over a lifetime in the processed foods they eat. For example, at many of the granaries in our country insects are milled along with the grain into the final product which ends up on your table as toast bread. Yet, we still find the concept of edible insects to be repulsive.

It may surprise you to learn that not only are many insects edible, they're also nutritious and thought to be quite delicious by people from other areas of the world, particularly Thailand where edible insects are sold as a delicacy.. There's even an official name for the practice of eating insects which is Entomophagy. A fancy name for a rather common practice in other cultures.

Just what are some of the edible insects you can choose from? Upon visiting some online sellers of gourmet insects, I found such offerings as: slow roasted giant water bugs; extra hot crushed giant bug paste; scorpions preserved in brine, fried hairy tarantula spiders tossed in a spicy sauce,;ant eggs; delicately roasted termite eggs; and even a bug sample pack consisting of seven, slow roasted insects for snacking purposes. This is just a small selection of the edible insects available to you. In fact, there are over 2,000 known edible insects!

Another surprising fact about edible insects is how nutritious they can be. In fact, 100 grams of insects supplies a full day's supply of vitamins and minerals as well as over 50 grams of protein, all for a calorie content of about 400 kilocalories. In fact, because insects are so nutritious, many people in the know are advocating they be used as sources of protein in areas where food is scarce, such as central Africa.

Are we missing out on the nutritious and tasty world of edible insects in this country? Our culture doesn't seem to readily accept this practice as of yet, although there might be advantages to this trend catching on in our part of the world. We have a rich supply of insects that are essentially wasted. Plus, bug farming provides humans with a source of protein that's much more environmentally friendly than the farming of animals such as cattle. Plus, it's an easy solution to the animal rights objection to raising farm animals for food. Fewer people would argue that bugs have rights.

So the next time you see a big bug crawling around in your kitchen, stop and ask yourself how it might taste sauteed with a touch of oregano and garlic!