Why Not Eat Insects?

[rg1984]

Hey,
I found this link which leads to a book called why not eat insects? Its pretty interesting and definately worth a look! Think its the whole book. Needs cut and pasted into a word document if you want to print it and for it to look nice.

http://www.foodreference.com/html/artinsects1.html

First heard of it from a Hugh Fearnley Whitingstall programme. Let me know what you think of it.

 

[Thrym]

I havent read the entire thing but insects are a high source of protein relative to there mass however i think you have to watch out for parasites on the larger ones. cant say ive ever ate one tho not intentionally anyway

 

[madrussian]

Not my cup of tea. I think I would rather become a vegetarian then eat bugs.

 

[nobby]

Hey,
I found this link which leads to a book called why not eat insects? Its pretty interesting and definately worth a look! Think its the whole book. Needs cut and pasted into a word document if you want to print it and for it to look nice.

http://www.foodreference.com/html/artinsects1.html

First heard of it from a Hugh Fearnley Whitingstall programme. Let me know what you think of it.

If I let you eat my share of insects can I have your sausages, please?

 

[Dave Budd]

I tried a fried locust at teh wilderness gathering last year. Apart form the chitin (exoskeleton) needing to be spat out, the thing was rather tasty tasted of fried, wait for it, chicken was good though. seriously!

I'm planning on trying wood ant eggs this summer, looks to good to not try IMO.

there's milage in bugs I think

 

[Tengu]

I would but so far I have found no honey ants...

 

[bambodoggy]

I tried a fried locust at teh wilderness gathering last year. Apart form the chitin (exoskeleton) needing to be spat out, the thing was rather tasty tasted of fried, wait for it, chicken was good though. seriously!)

I ate these most evenings while travelling out in Thailand for a few months, they tasted like less salty pork scratchings to me....I loved them

 

[madrussian]

I ate these most evenings while travelling out in Thailand for a few months, they tasted like less salty pork scratchings to me....I loved them

I'm sorry but that's just sick. I saw that Bear guy eating maggots and that just did me in. I don't think I could stomach eating bugs. Not intentionally anyway.

 

[Dave Budd]

actually now you say unsalted scratchings, that's not a bad description.

Once you get your head around what you're eating, it's just food! Afterall, how many people these days would think that a beefburger is tasty or appealing if they saw the cow being gutted, sliced up and minced with the blood and 'gore everywhere?

doesn't bother me much, so i guess I'll never starve

 

[nobby]

there's milage in bugs I think

And the runs, I wouldn't be surprised.
:0)

 

[gregorach]

Funny how cultural attitudes to food vary, isn't it? Plenty of people who couldn't stomach the thought of eating terrestrial arthropods (insects) are only too happy to tuck into marine arthropods (shrimp, lobster, etc).

I reckon most folk'll eat anything if they're hungry enough.

 

[bent-stick]

It's got to be a learned taboo.

In the days when kids were allowed to play in the dirt eating worms was commonplace

I was still doing it into my teens because I was a nasty little boy and I knew I could make my sister throw up.

Personally, I thought I'd have a go at anything that stood still long enough until I went to thailand to find people eating the contents of a buffalos stomach.Not the tripe (I actually like tripe) but the liquid part digested grass. I drew the line there.

David

 

[Stuart]

if you dont like the idea of eating insects does that mean that you wont eat prawns, shrimp, crab or lobster???

they are essentially aquatic insects and apart from size not much different to the land or air based variety

 

[silvergirl]

yep down to attitude, and I'm not imune, sometimes I'll try anything sometimes I won't. Probably depends how hungry you are.

I ran a wild foods day a few years ago and one dish I served up was marinated worms (ok, not insects I know) and surprisingly only one person was prepared to try it .


Thanks for the link BTW,

 

[Galemys]

Hey,
I found this link which leads to a book called why not eat insects? Its pretty interesting and definately worth a look! Think its the whole book. Needs cut and pasted into a word document if you want to print it and for it to look nice.

http://www.foodreference.com/html/artinsects1.html

Thank's for the link rg1984, quite interesting.

I was surprised that he mentions slugs as well, I always thought they were inedible. It always takes me ages to get the mucus of my hands when I accidently touch them so I am curious how they must be handled in the kitchen to avoid everything getting slimey.

Tom

 

[Marts]

Afterall, how many people these days would think that a beefburger is tasty or appealing if they saw the cow being gutted, sliced up and minced with the blood and 'gore everywhere?

Back up a minute Dave. They make them How!

No way.

My mum always told me they grow on burger bushes, and i'll not hear you spreading any more of this malicious gutting nonsense. What would the city kids think

 

[madrussian]

if you dont like the idea of eating insects does that mean that you wont eat prawns, shrimp, crab or lobster???

For some reason it doesn't seem to me to be the same thing. Maybe if I boiled locust the same way as I do crawfish. But, then again............

 

[bambodoggy]

if you dont like the idea of eating insects does that mean that you wont eat prawns, shrimp, crab or lobster???

For some reason it doesn't seem to me to be the same thing. Maybe if I boiled locust the same way as I do crawfish. But, then again............

Try frying up a handful of woodlice, they taste very similar to shrip and I am told are not a million miles away in terms of species......go on.....try it, you know you want too

 

[madrussian]

I'd try em only if you try em first. On second thought maybe not.

 

[scanker]

I should really read properly first before posting....