Eat What Bugs You!

Did you know in other countries around the world, insects are on the menu? Locusts, ants, spiders, moths, worms, grasshoppers, and crickets, just to name a few, are considered delicacies in other countries.

Japan

The Japanese have eaten bugs since the ancient times. Boiled wasps (hachi-no-ko), aquatic insect larvae (zaza-mushi) fried grasshoppers (inago), and fried silk moth pupae (sangi) are a few of the dishes you might see on a menu in Japan.

Nigeria

Visit Nigeria and you might see people munching on crickets, termites, grasshoppers, weevil larvae, and caterpillars. To catch the termites, a bowl of water is put out under a bright light. The termites are attracted to the light, then fall into the water and drown. People of all ages eat termites, but the queen termite is considered a delicacy and only eaten by adults.

Some say the most widely eaten insect in some parts of Nigeria is a caterpillar called Kanni. This insect is boiled, then dried in the sun. Don't be surprised to find one floating in your vegetable soup in Nigeria.

Bali

Dragonflies are the insects of choice in Bali. Have you ever seen how fast a dragonfly can fly? Then you know how difficult it must be to catch one. One way they catch them is applying a sticky substance to the end of a stick. The dragonfly hits the end of the stick and is caught. If you're real quick, you can also catch them by hand. Most dragonflies are grilled over a hot fire. The wings are usually removed before cooking.

Insects taste best if they are cooked alive. (I don't know this personally, since I have never eaten a bug, but this is what I have read.) Insects can be kept alive for several days in the refrigerator before cooking. It is actually recommended to refrigerate them before cooking because the cold slows down their movements. You don't move around to fast when you're freezing, do you? This is especially important when cooking crickets. Crickets are quick!

Insects can be dry-roasted, then used later. To dry roast, spread them on a baking sheet about bake about two hours at 200 degrees. When a recipe calls for nuts, use your dry-roasted bugs instead. How does a Chocolate Bug Cookie sound?

So, you're saying to yourself, "I would never eat a bug!" Well, you might have. The Department of Health and Human Services has a standard called the Food Defect Action Levels. Because it is impossible to omit all insects in food production, a level was set that was considered safe. For example, 5 insects per 100 grams of apple butter are allowed. In cornmeal, 1 insect is allowed per 50 grams. What about everybody's favorite, peanut butter? Per pound, 136 insects are allowed.