Edible Insects

Fancy a locust for lunch? Probably not, if you live in the west, but elsewhere it's a different story. Edible insects termites, stick insects, dragonflies, grasshoppers, and giant water bugs are on the menu for an estimated 80 percent of the world' s population. More than 1000 species of insects are served up around the world. For example, Kungu cakes made from midges are a delicacy in parts of Africa. Mexico is an insect-eating or entomophagous - hotspot, where more than 200 insect species are consumed. Demand is so high that 40 species are now under threat, including white agave worms. These caterpillars of the tequila giant-skipper butterfly fetch around $250 a kilogram. Eating insects make nutritional sense. Some contain more protein than meat or fish. The female gypsy moth, for instance, is about 80 percent protein. Insects can be a good source of vitamins and minerals too: a type of caterpillar (Usta Terpsichore) eaten in Angola is rich in iron, zinc, and thiamine. What do they taste like? Ants have a lemon tang, apparently, whereas giant water bugs taste of mint and fire ant pupae of watermelon. You have probably, inadvertently, already tasted some of these things, as insects are often accidental tourists in other types of food. The US Food and Drug Administration even issues guidelines for the number of insect parts allowed in certain foods. For example, it is acceptable for 225 grams of macaroni to contain up to 225 insect fragments.