How about some bugs for lunch?

Photo from: : http://theworldaccordingtodotdotdot.com/

Eating bugs is not really that shocking. You’ve probably heard of Thailand’s street food which includes cockroaches and crickets. In the Philippines, we have the Camaro or the fried crickets. When I was younger, I didn’t mind eating some crispy spicy locust or what we call ‘apan’ in South Cotabato. Yet, of course, knowing that there exists food made up of insects does not mean that everyone would be ready to include it in their diet or would be ready to stuff some into their mouths.

          

Entomophagy,  or insect-eating , is practiced by several cultures all over the world like in Ghana, Mexico, and of course parts of Asia including some of us Filipinos. But, as mentioned earlier, it’s not for everyone’s taste. Probably it is because insects are perceived by many to be awful creatures. For farmers, many insects are enemies because they destroy crops. For others, they simply are simply icky, especially the cockroaches, with their tiny legs that probably landed somewhere disgusting and with generations of nuclear survivors. It’s really not appetizing.

          

But, recently, scientists have found a way to turn insects into flour with hopes of turning them into snacks like break or cake maybe. That’s right – soon enough we can have insect breads. So you may be wondering: WHY? Well, actually, the UN has been contemplating entomophagy as a solution to end world hunger. Why not? Insects multiply fast and they are filled with protein. And, aside from insects dwelling on our wastes, many insects are pretty much nature-dwellers and feeding on vegetation. And, we should apply the ‘do not judge a book by its cover’ to our food. From my experience, locusts may look weird and icky but they’re delicious. And, when their turned into flour, I don’t really think anyone would notice.

Blogpost by: Glessa Francesca Garibay

References:

Carter, C. (2005, February 11). Insects to be turned into cakes and bread. The Telegraph. Retrieved February 6, 2014, from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/10619201/Insects-to-be-made-into-3D-food.html

Holloway, J. (2013, August 16). Insects: The future of food? Gizmag goes "taste buds on" with grubs, crickets and caterpillars. Insects: The future of food? Gizmag goes "taste buds on" with grubs, crickets and caterpillars. Retrieved February 6, 2014, from http://www.gizmag.com/insects-as-food/28713/

Weiner, M. B. (2011, April 28). Countries That Eat Bugs. Best Vacations: Top Destinations and Hotels. Retrieved February 5, 2014, from http://travel.usnews.com/features/Countries_That_Eat_Bugs/