Just the idea of eating insects is enough to give most people the heebie-jeebies! However, entomophagy, as it’s known, is more common than you would think. In fact, a third of the world’s population regularly eats insects – that is more the 2 billion people! After the initial shudder at the thought of it, the first question one would ask is, why? Why would I? Why should I even think about it? The answer to that may surprise you!
Experts we spoke to emphasize the nutritional value that insects have, and the fact that they don’t only provide an alternative for traditional meat, because they’re so high in protein, but are also a great dairy substitute! The insects aren’t “milked”, but instead are processed whole and broken down till they become a liquid. Because insect larvae are high in fat, the dairy substitute produced is rich and creamy – a perfect foundation to make ice cream, flavoured milk and other dairy products. But alas, most of us do not eat particular foods for their nutritional value, we eat something because we know it tastes good… and insects do! They can be fried, braaied, blended, made into ice cream, included in breads, chopped up into relish, or included in stews and curries. They are as versatile as any other ingredient, and bring their own unique earthy flavour to any dish.
If you’re not convinced yet, wait, there’s more!
With the world’s population fast approaching 8 billion mouths to feed, and considering that we have already done extensive damage to our environment with over-fishing and intensive meat farming, we need to think differently about what type of food is more sustainable to produce, while offering the same nutritional value. To put things in context: producing 100gm of insects for human consumption takes 26 times less water than producing 100gm of beef. Considering that there is 3 times more protein in that insect patty, one starts to realise that insects are the new smart food. Also think of the cost to environment in terms of land required to produce the food we eat. Cows need years, space, and feed to eventually produce the steaks we have come to love. But farming insects, to produce the same amount of food, takes weeks, in a tiny enclosed space, to produce a better nutrition source.
Entomophagy is not a new trend; in fact it is an ancient practice that has endured across the globe in some territories. The only regions on the planet that find it taboo to eat insects are the United States, Canada and Europe. Historically it makes sense, because the climate in those areas is not ideal for insects, and so they were probably rare. Insects regularly swarm in the warmer climes of Asia, Australia and Africa – so there, they could easily be seen as an abundant food source. So we’re not going into unchartered territory here, in fact, we are returning to our roots!
Entomophagy enthusiasts are confident that the attitudes towards eating insects will shift in the next few years, and they often ask, why are we so grossed out at the idea of eating insects, when we’ve been gorging on prawns, lobster and oysters – which are considered to be lower on the food chain than the creepy crawlies we find on land? Hypocritical much?
So, are you a little more curious and a brave enough to give it a go? Here’s a simple rule that’s easy to remember, when it comes to choosing where to start when it comes to eating insects:
Red, orange, yellow - forget this fellow!
Black, green or brown - wolf it down!
Perhaps in the future, instead of asking whether you want chicken or beef, it’ll be flying or crawling?