Millions of people around the world have already discovered that insects are a natural, life-giving food source and good source of protein.
Which of these local delicacies from different countries would you like to try?
Mexico: Bugs
It’s
common for our neighbors to the south to incorporate insects into their
culinary craft. Worms and other bugs are often consumed fried,
buttered, or even dipped into chocolate as a sweet treat. The popular
Mexican liquor is known as mezcal, tequila’s smoky-flavored cousin is
infused with a type of insect larvae that lives on the agave plant from
which it’s made.
In many brands of mezcal, you can find a single
whole larva floating in the bottle. This is called “con gusano,” which
means “with the worm” in Spanish.
Australia: Ants Are an Aboriginal Staple
You
probably won’t find them being served at any of Sydney’s posh eateries,
but insects like the honeypot ant have a rich history of being dined on
by Australia’s aboriginal population. This ant is particularly unique
in that it stores the food it eats inside its body, as opposed to fully
digesting it.
This means we can obtain this full store of nutrition
for health and longevity in addition to the nutrition naturally found in
the insect itself.
Nigeria : Grasshopper &Termites
Nigeria
is a country where eating grasshoppers and termites are becoming
popular amongst many tribes. However, for now most people in the country
have still not yet accepted these insects as a delicacy except the
edible worms from palm trees that is quite very popular in the country,
which is a delicacy native to the Delta and Igbo tribe of Nigeria.
Termites
are generally recognized as a nuisance for their destructive,
wood-munching habits. But they’re a major food source, especially during
the meager season of spring, in the Republic of Ghana, located in West
Africa. When preferable foods are scarce, Ghanaians rely on termites as
their primary source of protein.
They’re known to roast, fry, and even bake these tiny, nutrition-packed critters into cakes.
Denmark: Cricket
Denmark is rapidly becoming the epicenter of another beverage: cricket juice. In Copenhagen, a large, 162-square-foot cellar is home to Denmark’s first insect farm, where stacks upon stacks of food-safe burrowing crates house crickets that are used in the production of insect nectar.
A company known as INSEKTKBH feeds these critters a mixture of organic vegetables, used coffee grounds, leftover beer mash, and other biodegradable compost matter, only to later press them into a product known as Femten FÃ¥rekyllinger, which in Danish means “15 Crickets”.
Each
bottle contains a unique blend of organic Danish apple juice, ginger
root, and, as its name plainly states, the blended “extract” of 15
healthy, blanched crickets.
China: Cockroach
When
traveling about Asia’s most populous country, you’re sure to discover
all sorts of edible insects available as food. On the street, full-grown
insects on skewers are sold like lollipops, while high-end restaurants
serve delicacies like roasted bee larvae, commonly served up to the
wealthy as a five-star appetizer.
Brazil: Royal Ants for Regular People
In Southwestern Brazil, eating insects is the opposite of a delicacy. While everyday folks now consume queen ants, known as içás, regularly, it used to be that only the poorest of the poor partook in this peculiar culinary ritual. But perhaps içás should be a delicacy since these winged insects are reported to taste just like the mint plant and mix very well with chocolate.
Japan: grasshopper
Contrary
to what some people might assume about the practice, insect consumption
is neither primitive nor unsophisticated. And if you need even more
proof of this, look to First World leader Japan, where insects are
replete throughout the menu.
Some of Japan’s more popular
insect-based offerings include ago, which contains fried grasshopper;
Sangi, a dish containing fried silk moth pupae; and Zaza-mushi, a
culinary masterpiece containing larvae.
The Netherlands: Bugs
With its quaint, Dutch Golden Age housing and countless miles of picturesque winding canals, the coastal Scandinavian country of the Netherlands is known for its fish. But bugs are slowly entering Holland’s national palate, with crickets now being served up for free by street vendors who are trying to encourage more Dutch folk to give the insect a chance.
The United States: Bugs
Though they are still in the early stages of adoption, the United States has even begun the journey towards insect-inspired fare. California-based Hotlix, for instance, currently offers insect-infused suckers, chocolates, and other candies sold at novelty shops all across the country.
One of its more popular products, known as CRICK-ETTES Snax,
is precisely what its name suggests: packaged, dried crickets that come
in delectable flavors like Bacon & Cheddar, Sour Cream & Onion,
and Salt & Vinegar.
