Tips For Eating Insects
It seems pretty disgusting to most Westerners that many people around the world eat insects on a frequent, even daily, basis.
This is not always only because edible insects are so plentiful and money is so in short supply.
In many countries, some insects are thought of as a delicacy.
I am not an expert on edible insects in every country, but there are so many kinds of edible insects where I have been, that there have to be similar edible insects in every country except the North and South Poles.
Eating insects may appear to be revolting to us, but I have met individuals who think that it is equally revolting to eat prawns, shrimps and lobsters.
After all, they are merely insects of the sea of a kind.
And just like eating shrimps or lobster, insects are either the major or only part of the dish.
In other words, they are considered just as much a delicacy as shrimps, prawns or lobster is in the West.
Insects are not eaten with rice, chips, in a sandwich or with a sauce.
Rather insects are deep-fried in a wok and eaten from a plastic bag like chips.
Insects are not mixed when cooked either.
You buy fifty grammes of one and fifty grammes of another and they are eaten separately.
Insects are abundant and they do not have to be bred, unlike cattle.
An interesting fact is that beef is about 20% protein whereas insects are between 65% and 80% protein.
Surprising, eh? Fifty grammes of insects provides more protein that a half-pound beef steak and they have hardly any cholesterol.
If you want to include insects in your diet, then you will have to examine the subject with regard to your own country, but I will give some pointers.
In the insect world, yellow means 'stay away from me, I am poisonous or do not taste nice', so it is best not to eat those ones.
Most insectivores steer clear of hairy insects as well, so spiders and house flies are out too.
Mosquitoes are too small as are ticks and many other insects.
Although some caterpillars can be eaten, some cannot, so leave them to the connoisseurs.
The best insects to go for are beetles, termites, larvae, grubs, grasshoppers, crickets and some night-flying insects.
In Thailand, for instance, most people will eat insects for a luxury, although some people eat them every day.
In the north-east and in the north-west, people may eat insects once a month.
In the centre, like Bangkok and Pattaya, cooked insects are prepared on the streets, so they are easily available.
They are eaten frequently in the south and in the east, which is known as Isaan.
However, all over Thailand, you can see ultraviolet lights over insect traps.
These families will either eat the insects themselves or sell them on to a dealer.
I have also seen people collecting a fly which only comes out at night after rainfall.
You can gather thousands in an hour by putting a bowl of water under a street light.
The insects become stunned by the lamp and spiral down into the water where they drown.
This is not always only because edible insects are so plentiful and money is so in short supply.
In many countries, some insects are thought of as a delicacy.
I am not an expert on edible insects in every country, but there are so many kinds of edible insects where I have been, that there have to be similar edible insects in every country except the North and South Poles.
Eating insects may appear to be revolting to us, but I have met individuals who think that it is equally revolting to eat prawns, shrimps and lobsters.
After all, they are merely insects of the sea of a kind.
And just like eating shrimps or lobster, insects are either the major or only part of the dish.
In other words, they are considered just as much a delicacy as shrimps, prawns or lobster is in the West.
Insects are not eaten with rice, chips, in a sandwich or with a sauce.
Rather insects are deep-fried in a wok and eaten from a plastic bag like chips.
Insects are not mixed when cooked either.
You buy fifty grammes of one and fifty grammes of another and they are eaten separately.
Insects are abundant and they do not have to be bred, unlike cattle.
An interesting fact is that beef is about 20% protein whereas insects are between 65% and 80% protein.
Surprising, eh? Fifty grammes of insects provides more protein that a half-pound beef steak and they have hardly any cholesterol.
If you want to include insects in your diet, then you will have to examine the subject with regard to your own country, but I will give some pointers.
In the insect world, yellow means 'stay away from me, I am poisonous or do not taste nice', so it is best not to eat those ones.
Most insectivores steer clear of hairy insects as well, so spiders and house flies are out too.
Mosquitoes are too small as are ticks and many other insects.
Although some caterpillars can be eaten, some cannot, so leave them to the connoisseurs.
The best insects to go for are beetles, termites, larvae, grubs, grasshoppers, crickets and some night-flying insects.
In Thailand, for instance, most people will eat insects for a luxury, although some people eat them every day.
In the north-east and in the north-west, people may eat insects once a month.
In the centre, like Bangkok and Pattaya, cooked insects are prepared on the streets, so they are easily available.
They are eaten frequently in the south and in the east, which is known as Isaan.
However, all over Thailand, you can see ultraviolet lights over insect traps.
These families will either eat the insects themselves or sell them on to a dealer.
I have also seen people collecting a fly which only comes out at night after rainfall.
You can gather thousands in an hour by putting a bowl of water under a street light.
The insects become stunned by the lamp and spiral down into the water where they drown.