What insects do people eat? Edible insects for extreme survival, catching and cooking

When it comes to eating insects, many people see a picture like the one in the photo, followed by an oath: “Never!”. I hasten to reassure you: you won’t have to eat this beautiful Madagascar cockroach. And I will surprise you: we already eat insects, constantly and quite successfully. True, until unconsciously.

- At least 5 kilograms of insects are eaten by a person in his life, for the most part alive, without noticing it at all, - CEO State Scientific and Production Association "Scientific and Practical Center of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus for Bioresources" Oleg Borodin is a competent source in this matter: he is an entomologist with a degree, so it is better for the impressionable to put up with it right away.

- Larvae, live insects, worms enter the body in many ways, mainly with food - vegetables, fruits, berries. Many of them do not have hard covers, so we do not even chew them,- continues the scientist. - Recently in the store I saw a picture: a whole colony of aphids sits in a salad. They Green colour due to the fact that their food is rich in chlorophyll. If I wasn't an entomologist, I wouldn't have seen them. I am sure that most people would calmly cut such a salad, and unnoticed insects would easily fall into their plate.

The interest that brought the correspondent of the Belarusian Green Portal to the Scientific and Practical Center of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus on bioresources, oddly enough, is related to food. In short: the world's population is growing, there is not enough food for everyone, as evidenced by numerous studies. Now about 30% of the total area of the Earth is used for livestock breeding. In addition, animal husbandry is one of the main sources of greenhouse gases leading to global warming.

Scientists regard the use of insects as a possible promising direction for solving food problem in particular, obtaining protein for nutrition. Of course, the idea of eating worms and larvae in the context of domestic cooking looks wild, but let's figure it out. And Oleg Borodin will help us with this.

In his opinion, the first and main problem on the way of insects to our table lies in the psychological plane. It is difficult to break this barrier, and there is no need, Borodin believes.

- The use of insects in food is not implied in the sense in which it is served in different kind MASS MEDIA. All insects are only a source of matter. You can prepare such a substance in any convenient form that is accessible to the perception of every person. After all, no one takes a chicken and eats it right in the feathers? In relation to insects, there is a prejudice: since it is eaten, it is taken directly with paws, wings - eat, dear comrade. This is how it is presented in many reports about exotic food. Although such a format is, of course, not excluded, he says. - As part of the work of the student research laboratory of the structure and dynamics of biodiversity, working at the Department of Zoology of the Belarusian State University, sometimes a “Gourmet Day” is held, where we prepare such exotics. Thanks to word of mouth, there were about 80 people at the last event.

The next important issue is the effect of insect meat on human health. Many properly prepared species contain not only a lot of protein and little fat, but also carry many rare and useful elements, a set of which can only be obtained with expensive exotic fruits, and sometimes only in pharmaceutical form.

- We are still working on the question of how to use this resource to obtain feed protein for animal husbandry. Research has been carried out regarding chemical composition, the energy value of insects as food objects for farm animals, and the effect turned out to be very positive. As for the impact on a person, the issue has not been purposefully studied. Therefore, there is no reason to assert any negative impact. But it is also impossible to simply extrapolate the results of the studies carried out to humans, although such work is planned. While the question of funding!- notes the interlocutor.

What exactly is the benefit of eating insects?

- In terms of costs, the rule “1 kg of conditional feed is equal to 100 g of the final product” is observed in any case. But classical animal husbandry requires huge fields, expensive feed, time, energy, water and other resources. In the case of insects, things are different. The biofactory will have an incomparably smaller area, representing a virtually closed box. In a closed ecosystem, with minimal areas and the absence of natural regulators (diseases, predators), the cultivated mass of insects reaches colossal values, which makes it possible to obtain a large number of protein in a very short time, says the entomologist.

But speed isn't everything. Instead of expensive food, insects can get something that would still go to landfill: various organic waste. By the way, such a project (entomogradation) was launched within the framework of the 100 Ideas for Belarus campaign, where it reached the final,- the scientist develops the idea.

According to him, for various types waste are intended different types insects that will actually utilize them. The output will be not only feed protein, but also biologically active substances: chitosan, pigments, components for the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.

- What do we have on this moment? We are approached by people who are trying to put these technologies into practice. The problem is that it is necessary to clearly work out a number of questions in a preliminary scientific study. So we will get specific developments that can be implemented with additional funding. Now we are all at the stage of developing these methods, with the selection of certain types, the identification of their energy value, chemical composition, etc., - emphasizes Oleg Borodin. - On the basis of our center for bioresources, we plan to open a laboratory complex, where both a demonstration line for processing organic waste into protein material will operate, and the source material will be accumulated for its subsequent implementation in practice.

Finally, I wanted to ask a couple of personal questions.

- Have you eaten insects yourself?

- I ate everything from annelids. The main thing is to cook right.

- And raw and alive?

No, I don't see the need for it. As a biologist, I am well aware that insects are potential sources of pathogens. infectious diseases, even if they are non-specialized carriers.

- And how does it taste? What does it look like?

- It all depends on the preparation. When we did "blind polls", people said that it tasted like shrimp and like fish, and a specific, unlike anything taste. There have never been any negative reviews.

Reference: on our planet there are about 1400 edible species insects. In more than 90 countries, they are regularly eaten in one form or another.

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Insects for food

In conditions of extreme survival, when a person is without food for a long time, loses a lot of weight, protein food is simply necessary. But it can be very difficult to get it, especially in the absence of skills and the necessary "tools". Lost in the taiga or mixed forest, a person is far from always armed and able to hunt large and medium game. Small game hunting and fishing may not bring the desired results, but this fact does not negate the need for protein. Then, you have to pay attention to insects and their larvae.

Many will twist their fingers at their temples and say I won’t eat it, but most likely only a well-fed person will say this, and when you are on the verge of life and death from hunger, any crawling creature can be seen as an exquisite delicacy.
Insects are rich in protein. This is the main thing! Yes, we are all not residents of Southeast Asia, and insects, worms, larvae are far from a delicacy for us. However, there are times when you should discard disgust and eat. Survival in the taiga is just such a case.

So, what insects are edible and suitable for food, where to look for them

Ants.

Also, most species of scorpions are edible and absolutely edible after heat treatment. But flies, their larvae and other insects that come into contact with animal feces should not be eaten. Even heat treatment will not guarantee getting rid of the infection.

Experts from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations agreed with the opinion of scientists that people should be persuaded to eat insects instead of meat. First, crickets and grasshoppers have as much protein as a piece of steak meat. Secondly, their cultivation is much cheaper and requires less space.

Experts note that about 1,400 species of insects are edible for humans. They are eaten in 36 African, 29 Asian and 23 countries in North and South America. Moreover, in some states, insects are considered a delicacy, in others - insects are part of the daily diet.

(Total 11 photos)

1. In many cultures around the world, insects, a protein-rich food, are an important part of the daily diet. And now in Europe there are restaurants that serve dishes from insects.

2. But in China, you can see fried locust everywhere, which is sold on wooden sticks.

3. Many people in different parts of the world consider locusts to be a real disaster. But not the Mexicans. In Mexico, especially in its southern regions, in addition to all kinds of tortillas, you will also find fried locusts wrapped in unleavened cakes.

4. And if in Mexico you can buy fried insects simply from a street vendor's stall, then in other Western countries such dishes are more like a delicacy served in expensive restaurants. For example, the New York restaurant of the Explorers Club hosts an annual reception during which insect dishes are served.

5. The Chinese talk about their gastronomic tastes with humor: “We eat everything that flies, except for an airplane, everything that has four legs, except for a table and chairs.” Of course, China in the use of insects is ahead of the rest. Many restaurants specialize exclusively in dishes made from insects.

6. For many people, just the thought of eating this mountain of larvae can cause a strong disgust.

7. But the Chinese are less squeamish. They are ready to absorb even fried scorpions on skewers. After all, taste is everything...

8. This is a real exotic for tourists, but for locals it is an absolute routine: everything that crawls will be used for food.

Let's see what they offer us:

Eaten: in Asia and parts of the US
Tastes like asparagus
Cooking method: Boil or fry like shrimp

Wasp larvae

Eat: in Japan
Taste: Sweet and crunchy
Cooking method: with soy sauce and sugar

scorpions

Eat: in Vietnam, Thailand, China
Tastes like crab or shrimp
Cooking method: on skewers, fried in oil

red ants

Eat: in Thailand
Tastes like lemon
Cooking method: adding to salads

caterpillars

Eat: in Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe
Taste: oily
Cooking method: dried or smoked, served with sauce

Larvae of the longhorn beetle Prionoplus reticularis

Eat: in New Zealand
Tastes like peanut butter
Cooking method: eaten raw

Eat: in Vietnam, China, Korea
Tastes like dried shrimp

tarantulas

Eat: in Cambodia and Venezuela
Tastes like crab
Cooking method: fried in oil with salt and sugar

dragonflies

Eat: in Indonesia
Tastes like crab
Cooking method: boiled or fried

Eat: in Mexico
Tastes like cinnamon
Cooking method: ground with chili or as a filling for such

Palm weevil:

Eat: in Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Malaysia
Tastes Like Coconut When Raw, Like Bacon When Cooked
Cooking method: raw or fried on skewers

Eaten: West Africa, Australia, parts of South America
Tastes like carrot
Cooking method: fried

Grasshoppers

Eat: in Mexico
Taste: salty and spicy
Cooking method: fried with chili and lime

Ant eggs

Eat: in Mexico
Taste: Oily and nutty
Cooking method: boiled or fried in butter, usually eaten in tacos

water beetles

Eat: Thailand

Cooking method: In Thailand, for example, they prefer fried water beetles.

It is believed that scorpions taste very much like crabs, cooked water beetles are indistinguishable from scallop fillets, Madagascar cockroaches are like ham, ants have a pleasant delicate sour taste, and salted dried locusts and grasshoppers are an excellent snack for beer.

And not only adherents of exotic Asian cuisine think so, where often due to the poverty of the population or established traditions, eating insects is the daily diet of most local residents, not at all. In Europe and America, these delicacies are also considered quite fashionable, modern and in demand. After all, the problem of replacing expensive meat on our tables with something more affordable is creeping up and quite noticeably.

So, in Germany there are special restaurants that include dishes from insects in their menu. In the United States, insect dinners are periodically held for visitors to fashionable establishments (for example, the famous Travel Club).

Have you heard about casu marzu? Well, of course, because this is the most famous Italian cheese with larvae (by the way, it is also an aphrodisiac)! And in the Netherlands today there are even high-tech farms for breeding food insects, where parties are held with treats. They also recently published a whole cookbook on "insect-eating" with the involvement of culinary authorities and eminent scientists who advocate for healthy lifestyle life.

Well, were you persuaded to try? In any case, we think that it will be at least interesting for many to get acquainted with the traditions and recipes of insect dishes. After all, these arthropods form the basis of the nutrition of hundreds of thousands of people in hundreds of countries around the world. So, what is cooked in the world from beetles and spiders?

It just so happened that the traditions of entomophagy have most taken root in Asian cuisine. Most likely, because of the scarcity of the local animal world. Even in ancient times, even an unpretentious European would hardly have exchanged a well-fed rabbit or a fat capon (yes, even a roasted pigeon or a rat) for a dish of the most beautiful locusts or grasshoppers. And in Asia, nothing - they eat, and even praise. And not only locusts, since today about one and a half thousand species of arthropods are considered edible: dragonflies, swimming beetles, scorpions, bamboo worms, ants, tarantulas, various larvae ...

So, from the main dishes to your attention are offered:

quiche pies and pancakes stuffed with insects, as well as pizzas with larvae;
cakes and buns with locusts baked in them;
fried in batter or simply without anything spiders and grasshoppers;
ant egg soup;
steamed or grilled scorpions;
cutlets from earthworms;
bee and wasp larvae boiled with sugar and soy sauce;
smoked caterpillars;
pates from any insects with spices and white wine;
mealworm and vegetable stew;
cheese with cheese fly larvae;
shish kebab from the larvae of the barbel beetle.

And this is not the tenth or even the hundredth part of insect recipes, there is simply no point in listing everything. In many Asian countries you can try such delights not only in restaurants and cafes, but literally everywhere - on the beach, at street hawkers, in the market. However, not only in Asian ones: the same cheese with larvae is the invention of Sardinian culinary specialists, it is even officially its cultural heritage.

Dessert

Many will not believe, but local craftsmen have even learned how to make desserts from insects! However, remember the Bible - even John the Baptist himself ate locusts with wild honey. Our contemporaries are not far behind. How do you like, for example, chocolate-coated ants, mealworm and rum ice cream, dragonflies in coconut oil with sugar, darkling beetle larvae chocolate pralines, earthen wasp rice crackers, scorpion lozenges and cricket chocolate hazelnut cookies?

All these desserts are quite common in many countries and are in great demand. They say that it is very tasty and healthy - such sweets strengthen the immune system and energize. In addition, they look unusual and will certainly become a highlight. holiday table. Moreover, you can try them not only in exotic places, in distant Bali and somewhere else, but also in Japan, which is quite traditional in the opinion of a European.

We hope that after reading the article you are convinced that the beetle is not so terrible as it is sometimes painted ... in cookbooks.

In many cultures around the world, insects, a protein-rich food, are an important part of the daily diet. And now in Europe there are restaurants that serve dishes from insects.

But in China, you can see fried locust everywhere, which is sold on wooden sticks.

But the Chinese are less squeamish. They are ready to absorb even fried scorpions on skewers. After all, taste is everything...

The Chinese talk with humor about their gastronomic tastes: "We eat everything that flies, except for an airplane, everything that has four legs, except for a table and chairs." Of course, China in the use of insects is ahead of the rest. Many restaurants specialize exclusively in dishes made from insects.

For many people, just the thought of eating this mountain of larvae can cause a strong disgust.

Would you like to have a snack between your main meals? How do you like such a deep-fried, deep-fried spider? The people of Cambodia really like it.

And if in Mexico you can buy fried insects simply from a street vendor's stall, then in other Western countries such dishes are more like a delicacy served in expensive restaurants. For example, the New York restaurant of the Explorers Club hosts an annual reception during which insect dishes are served.

Many people in different parts of the world consider locusts to be a real disaster. But not the Mexicans. In Mexico, especially in its southern regions, in addition to all kinds of tortillas, you will also find fried locusts wrapped in unleavened cakes.

But not all scientists consider the impending threat so inevitable. For example, Arnold van Heijs is already trying to find a solution to the problem by studying the possibilities of using insects as food for humans of the future. And he, it must be said, has a high opinion of the prospects for replenishing our usual menu with dishes from representatives of the most common class of living beings on the planet. Helping the Dutch professor to carry the idea to the masses is Chef Henk van Gurp, who develops recipes for dishes with insects. He also conducts special master classes where he teaches those who wish to cook these strange, unusual dishes, but perhaps the most interesting thing is not cooking, but the subsequent tasting of delicacies.

The idea of a Dutch scientist trying to move various spider bugs from the category of delicacies for thrill-seekers to the category of popular and affordable food is not based at all on empty place. The English traveler Vincent Holt spoke about the fact that insects can be a full-fledged source of proteins and trace elements so necessary for the human body. In his book Why Don't We Eat Insects? (1885) he recommended that readers diversify their usual diet with beetles, caterpillars and butterflies. And really, why not? Here is the approximate content of proteins and fats in various types edible insects (per 100 grams): dung beetles - 17.2 g and 3.8 g; in live caterpillars - 14.2 g and 1.2 g; grasshoppers - 20.6 g and 6.1 g; termites - 14.2 g and 2.2 g; bees 13.4 g and 1.4 g respectively.

For comparison, a piece of beef of the same weight contains 23.5 g of protein and 21.2 g of fat. The fact that, in addition to such an advantageous ratio of proteins and fats, insect food contains chitin also speaks in favor of the appearance of insect dishes in the list of foods we use. One of his many useful properties- help in cleansing the body. Chitin serves as the basis for the production of chitosan, an integral part of many weight loss products. Chitosan has many other useful properties, but back to our insects. They are so useful that Japanese scientists presented in July 2010 at the Congress on Space Research, held in Bremen, a new diet for astronauts. As you probably guessed, it also includes insects. By the way, the disgust at the sight of baked larvae or ice cream with ants, characteristic of the average inhabitants of Europe or, say, England, is not at all shared by the natives of many countries in Asia, Africa, and Australia.

For them, these dishes are just another way to snack. In about a hundred states, eating insects does not seem unusual today. In Thailand, for example, insect breeding is already being done on an industrial scale. After all, this is a much less costly and laborious occupation than, for example, raising pigs and chickens. Large areas are not needed, and insects eat immeasurably less. According to some forecasts, it is insect farms that will soon become the main food producer in this country. Well, what are we? There are about a million species of insects known to science. Unknown, according to some scientists - even more.

There are about 1400 edible species out of this million. But even this is a lot. Is it possible that, due to the unusual nature of such food and a considerable amount of disgust, this currently inexhaustible source of nutrients is not for us? I think, nevertheless, no. After all, if the benefits are obvious ... An example of this is the Spanish fly, popular in the past in France, and not only an aphrodisiac, it is an ash fly. In the era of the great French revolution, not a single drink designed to ignite passion could do without this component. Yes, and fashion contributes to the popularization of insect eating. For example, in European countries you can find restaurants that specialize only in this kind of delicacies. And visiting such establishments is becoming fashionable. For the first sample, dishes are most often chosen where insects are used as a filling that is not visible to the neophyte. For example, putting a cricket in chocolate icing into your mouth is somewhat easier than a fried cockroach.

One foreign company decided to sell fried ants.
But not simple, but giant Colombian ants, the length of which reaches 2 centimeters.
The price of this delicacy is $20.

And here are some more options...

It is impossible in situations threatening hunger to forget about the so-called non-traditional foodstuffs. It is foolish to doom yourself to starvation just because the food around you has an unusual look, taste and smell. You can afford to frown in disgust at the sight of a worm that crawled out of an apple, but only at home, and not in any way. emergency. Here, if you want to survive, it is better to get rid of old habits like disgust. And the sooner, the better for health. Therefore, if in such a, to put it mildly, predicament, a wormy apple fell into the hands of the victim, you should not throw it away, but, on the contrary, you should eat it completely, to the last bone, and even a worm, sorry , be sure to catch and eat, as it is more high-calorie than the apple itself. And it will be more than correct. Our ancestors, who lived in the cruel conditions of the struggle for their own existence, firmly grasped this unwritten law. Their menu, in terms of assortment, was much richer than ours. They ate everything. Well, let's just say almost everything.

Not the worst diet can be made up of: garden and grape snails, slugs, earth and wood worms, smooth-skinned, that is, devoid of hair and chitin, caterpillars, cicadas, beetles and their larvae living in the ground and wood, as well as dragonfly larvae, as well as and dragonflies themselves, crawling and flying ants and other insects. In the water, you can collect edible pond shells, barley shells, water beetles and other aquatic insects.

In the recent past, dried and ground into flour grasshoppers, retreating from worldly cares, were used by hermits for baking bread cakes and making porridges. So if you come across in some book the phrase “the hermits ate berries, mushrooms and locusts”, know that the holy fathers consumed grasshoppers with no small appetite. And, by the way, they acted wisely, because 100 g of food mass prepared from grasshoppers “pulls” 225 calories - only slightly less than wheat bread. And 100 g of fried termites - 560 calories!

Many peoples inhabiting the deserts revered locusts for a delicacy. The Chinese enjoy eating dried spiders. The Japanese, who do not experience much hunger, are dragonflies. The peoples of the South Asian region are generally distinguished by their amazing omnivorousness and use almost all the insects they encounter, from the most exotic, such as fried scorpions revered as a delicacy, to purely domestic ones. And mosquitoes! Those that cover the face and hands? They are also edible. And easily accessible. Just have time to beat yourself on the cheeks and lick what remains of them from your fingers. Or collect for material and cook a stew ...

Ants and their southern counterparts - termites, grasshoppers, locusts, crickets, some species of beetles, honey bees, and aquatic insects are considered to be the most valuable in nutritional terms. A person who finds himself in emergency conditions is most accessible to sedentary snails, slugs, worms, larvae, especially since they usually cluster in one place. Having found their habitat, it is no longer difficult to find them themselves in the required quantities. Jumping and flying insects are much more difficult to catch.

The easiest way to find insects is on the trunks of old and dead trees, stumps. By the way, these varieties of larvae are the most edible and, according to connoisseurs of oriental cuisine, are delicious. To collect them, one must carefully examine the crevices, hollows and other depressions, tear off the old bark and collect insects and their larvae from it. reverse side and from bare wood. You can collect insects in glades and meadows by looking at tall plants, on the stems and flowers of which it is easy to notice spider cocoons, thickenings and similar defects in which larvae and caterpillars live. In addition, they can be found in the seeds of plants. For example, in the stems and prickly "heads" of the well-known burdock, a certain number of insects can be collected even in winter.

Grasshoppers are more convenient to catch in the morning, in the cold, when they are inactive. It is better to look for soil insects in moist, shady places, among rotten foliage, under stones, heaps of deadwood and fallen tree trunks, at the bottom of dried puddles. Aquatic - naturally in the water, at the bottom of lakes, rivers, streams, swamps, individual large puddles, among the vegetation surrounding them. The easiest way to find ants is by large, sometimes reaching a height of 1.5-2 m, heaps of anthills. But you can catch them "by smell" in jars and other containers placed near ant paths, into which you can throw a small amount of food debris.

Ants are very good in fried and baked form. In addition, in anthills you can find caterpillars and their larvae harvested for the future. Of particular value are the so-called honey, or sugar, ants, which act as containers for storing nectar in anthills. They differ from worker ants in having a disproportionately large barrel-shaped abdomen filled with a sweet liquid. The most nutritious are not the ants themselves, but their larvae and pupae (or, as they are sometimes called, ant eggs), resembling appearance white or yellow rice grains. Larvae can be collected by stirring up the wall of a large anthill. In small anthills, it is enough to lift a stone or a tree trunk covering it from above in order to find a whole deposit of ant eggs.

Much more pupae can be obtained using a cloth trap. To do this, near the anthill, on a horizontal platform illuminated by the sun, it is necessary to spread a large, 1 - 1.5 m2 piece of fabric, wrap all four of its corners up and put branches under them to form slit-like cavities. Then the upper part of the anthill is torn off and crumbles in a thin layer on the fabric, under the rays of the sun. Saving the pupae from drying out, the ants quickly drag them under the wrapped edges of the fabric. At night, insects can be caught by the light of a lantern, a candle, or a piece of white, preferably illuminated, rag spread on the ground. During the day - with the help of a net made from any material at hand. Knock down to the ground with your clothes off. Or just carefully cut and shake grass and shrub vegetation over the material.

Water insects - various water beetles and their larvae, larvae of butterflies - ephemeral, dragonflies, May flies, etc. can promise good food for those in distress. They should be collected in shallow water, always in running, unstagnant water. Catching fidgeting aquatic animals with your hands is a thankless and hopeless business, and therefore it is better to use an impromptu net. To do this, stretching to the sides a piece of tulle, gauze or any other fabric at hand (in last resort removed shirt or pants), you need to walk through the shallow water as quickly as possible, raking the water and everything in it to the shore. Or, on the contrary, to lead the net above the very bottom, like a deep-sea trawl.

Even more catchy is a stationary network placed downstream of a river or stream. Several stakes are driven into the bottom, between which any fabric found is stretched at an angle open towards the direction of the flow. Then, upstream, it is enough to shake the bottom with your feet and shake off the aquatic vegetation so that all the raised living creatures are carried into the net. In the absence of any material suitable for the manufacture of nets, it is possible, with the help of long poles, to pull large armfuls of algae ashore, inside which to collect aquatic insects hidden there. Before eating, it is better to boil all aquatic insects, since there is no guarantee that the water in which they live is sterile.

You may not believe it, but insects are edible. What do they taste like and why are some species regularly eaten in many parts of the world? We learn about it from the materials of the next publication.

Cicada

This type of insect is eaten not only in Asian countries, but also in many parts of the United States. Cicadas practically do not crawl out to the surface, live deep underground and feed on the juice of the roots. They can live up to 17 years, periodically crawling to the surface to reproduce. At this time, many people eagerly await their prey, because it is necessary to have time to catch the insect before the shell hardens. Cicadas can be boiled, fried, consumed with a side dish. They are valued for their low calorie content and high content protein (up to 40%).

In nature, there is also an annual (annual) cicada, which is much easier to catch. Despite its name, it functions from 2 to 7 years. The taste of the insect resembles asparagus or potatoes.

Dragonfly

In Indonesia, people practice eating dragonflies, mainly as a curative measure. They are fried or boiled. They catch dragonflies at the moment when they hunt mosquitoes, and for this they are armed with sticks from palm trees dipped in sticky juice. Dragonflies taste like the soft shell of a crab.

Ant eggs

The following dish is popular in Mexico. Giant black ant eggs are harvested from agave roots. They are boiled or fried in oil and added to tacos or some other popular national dishes. However, the larvae have a mild, nutty flavor. There is also a cottage cheese aftertaste.

mopani worms

These insects are eaten in Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe. In general, caterpillars are traditionally consumed all over the world. However, these blue-green spiny caterpillars are prized for their high protein content. Mopani worms are dried in the sun or smoked. Served with sauce or stew. This African exotic has a mild buttery taste.

Grasshopper

Mexicans have already distinguished themselves on our list. We continue to voice their gastronomic preferences. Grasshoppers are fried, flavored with chili and lime. Entrepreneurial people sell ready meal in the marketplaces. Passers-by are happy to eat fried grasshoppers in handfuls, like chips. They have a salty and spicy taste.

silkworm pupae

People in Vietnam, China, and Korea eat silkworm pupae, which are considered an edible by-product of the silk industry. If in Korea this insect is usually boiled, then in China and Vietnam, residents prefer fried silkworm pupae. The taste of the dish is salty, similar to dried shrimp with a chewy consistency.

water beetle

These insects are eaten in Thailand. These massive critters are very popular as a snack and can be bought at any kiosk. Thais prefer them fried with hot sauce or steamed. Roll them up in banks. Tastes like slightly salted fish.

Scorpion

This formidable insect is eaten by the inhabitants of China, Thailand and Vietnam. They are caught on the street and deep-fried. The taste of a scorpion resembles the soft shell of a crab or shrimp in a shell.

Weevil larva

Another "treasure" is eaten in Nigeria, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea. In rural areas, weevil larvae are considered a staple; they are valued for their high content of protein, calcium, and potassium. They are collected directly from the tree, strung on a skewer and roasted over hot coals. Sometimes fried in flour and wrapped in a sago leaf. Raw to taste, the larvae resemble coconut, and in ready-made bacon.

Ants

Ants are eaten in Australia, Colombia and Thailand. Australian Aborigines wait until the insects grow to the size of a grape and eat them raw as sweets. Colombians eat their fat-assed ants like popcorn or peanuts. In Thailand, they prefer to fry red ants along with eggs and add them to salads.

Tarantula

These arachnids are fried in oil until crispy in Cambodia and Venezuela. Salt, sugar, and sometimes garlic are added and sold as street food. They eat whole tarantulas. And if the legs of the creatures are crispy, then the fat bellies are rather sticky. In the jungles of Venezuela, you can find a tarantula the size of a plate. This type of tarantula is considered a delicacy and is roasted over an open fire. It tastes like crab meat.

Termite

In West Africa, Australia, and parts of Latin America, termites are eaten by residents. They are eaten raw, grilled or fried in oil. Termites taste like carrots.

wasp larva

Residents of Japan love to eat wasp larvae. They are carefully removed from the nest, cooked in soy sauce with added sugar. Eaten as a snack. Taste: sweetish, crispy

Huhu beetle larvae

These insects are adored by the natives of New Zealand. The huge fat larva is regarded as a delicacy and eaten as a snack. People gather them under rotting tree trunks. Valued for their high protein content, they taste like peanut butter.

Brown marble bug

In Mexico and South Africa, locals eat stink bugs. In order to avoid the smell, insects are soaked in warm water. In Africa, they are first decapitated and then boiled and dried in the sun. Used as a snack. To taste, the insect resembles a mixture of cinnamon and iodine.