We have a thing or two to learn from other countries when it comes to entomophagy
Guest blog post by: Molly Biagi
Eating insects isn’t a new concept. With cave paintings and other archeological relics depicting insects in hunting scenes, entomophagy has been a suspected staple dating back to the establishment of early human populations. In 2009, 3,071 different documented groups in 130 different countries incorporated insects into their meals. While those numbers have changed over the years, today, it is estimated that 80% of the world’s population incorporates insect ingredients into their diets.
Today we’ll take a high-level journey through various cultures that practice entomophagy:
Entomophagy has deep historical roots across the world. In rural areas of Mexico, the Spanish invasion combined with dry conditions that led to poor harvests and economic struggles defined the eating habits of the people occupying these regions. Way back when, someone had the bright idea to turn bugs into food and supplement some of their nutrition and thus entomophagy became a hit there. The bugs were easy to come by and they kept everyone fed. A win-win. With those historic roots, consuming insects is an important part of Mexican culture that is greatly honored. Chapulines, or Mexican fried grasshoppers, are one of the country’s most popular insect snacks. Indigenous populations have a long history of eating wide varieties of insects, dating back thousands of years. Today, a wide array of insect options have become popular depending on the region. Escamoles (edible ant larvae), jumiles (stink bugs), ants, and maguey worms are some other adventurous options that you can find within restaurants or at smaller street vendors prepared in a ton of different ways.
Across Zambia and other parts of Southern Africa, insawa, or flying termites, are a popular choice because of their accessibility, nutritional value, and flavor. During the rainy seasons, the termites fly out of their mounds towards a light source where they are collected, dried or roasted, and eaten as a snack. Less favorable than insawa, masololo (beetle larvae) and cicadas are also consumed but take significantly more effort to collect which is generally not ideal if you’re planning to eat them like popcorn. But regardless, within the Kazoka village of Zambia and other rural regions, insects are a greatly valued food source and a promising source of nourishment.
Contemporary Sweden came to accept entomophagy in a different way. Insect-based medicinals and natural remedies have been used to treat a variety of ailments for centuries. Redwood ants were commonly used for their formic acid content which was believed to cure things like gout, rheumatism, and warts. Some Swedish lore even shares that a cure for lower back pain would be to throw a handful of ants onto the patient. Honeybees were another segue into the acceptance of edible insects. Swedes weren’t eating the honeybees themselves but rather they were making use of their products, like beeswax and honey, for their health benefits before apiculture was popularized across Europe. “If we can consume insects for their medicinal properties we can surely consume them for their nutritional value, too!” is what I assume someone at a board meeting in Sweden said. On a more serious note, Sweden and some other European countries have been noted to be generally more willing to try new food trends and foods from different cultures and countries. With a diverse dining scene in Sweden already, it’s no shock that they are thinking about bringing insects to the table, too. The environmental impact has also been a driver when it comes to popularity in Sweden. In support of sustainable businesses, a cafeteria recently introduced mashed larvae tacos after taking inspiration from schools in the Netherlands serving up insects in support of our planet. While these tacos might not be a permanent menu staple right now, they definitely act as a conversation starter and leave the door open for more insect-based possibilities.
Germany and Italy also have that open-minded outlook. Ancient Romans were noted to eat insects such as grasshoppers and locusts, especially during periods of scarcity, and Germans were historically fond of the same. Today, German residents are still willing to eat insects but primarily in processed forms. Processed insect foods are becoming more popular: protein powders, flours, pastas, cookies -the possibilities are endless. And hey, people in Italy even said they liked the taste! Dried crickets and mealworms are commonly sold in a variety of flavors.
It’s also important to recognize the nutritional benefits that different species offer. Caterpillars are rich in B vitamins, cockroach nymphs provide ample amounts of arginine which helps boost the immune system, and butterfly and true bug larvae are good sources of fatty acids.
Depending on where you live, finding culinary-grade insect ingredients could be as simple as a trip to the grocery store. More likely, you can explore the wealth of online options that will ship right to you. Or consider how other countries like Chile and Belgium are more willing to eat animals that have been fed an insect-based diet because of the ecological impacts. Currently, insect-based feed is growing in popularity. As regulations are updated to permit selling feed for various livestock – like chickens, fish, or even house pets like cats and dogs – to include insects, the demand is exploding. This makes sense, since insects are a natural part of most animal diets – they evolved to eat bugs.
Mealworm and black soldier fly larvae, specifically, are currently being used to feed a variety of animals and are considered a sustainable, high-quality protein source that can replace other feed options like soybeans and fishmeal. Feed containing silkworm pupae was shown to improve nutrient digestibility and retention in carp compared to other plant based options and grasshopper-rich feed has even been noted to increase protein content and decrease cholesterol in chickens.
The production of insect based feed provides a great way to recycle organic waste while also providing animals with required nutrients and additional benefits from components like chitin and fatty acids. Several countries including Belgium, Poland, Italy, and Germany plan to use insect-based feed for poultry, beef, chicken, pork, and fish farming. Skretting, a producer of farmed fish feed, has already begun dabbling into insect-based options by utilizing insect flours in their shrimp and fish diets. With such positive results, Skretting has gone on to partner with grocery stores across France that are now selling healthier, more sustainable trout that has been fed the insect based diet.
Insects play a vital role in our ecosystems through services such as pollination, pest control, and nutrient cycling. However, agricultural expansion has really put a damper on things and has caused a decrease in insect biodiversity. With a growing population, our agricultural systems rely heavily on insect biodiversity for food production. By changing the way we eat and produce food, we may be able to alleviate some of our food security concerns and put less pressure on our natural ecosystems. Insect farming emits fewer greenhouse gasses, uses less water and space, has the ability to utilize organic waste, and causes less environmental damage than conventional livestock farming practices. Importantly, insect farming is not a replacement for conventional livestock farming – it’s an enhancement that will let even small-scale farmers do more with less. For example, a farmer could use their own black soldier fly farm on-site to upcycle agricultural byproducts and other organic waste into free animal feed and biofertilizer.
It’s clear to see that a lot of places that are accepting of re-integrating insects back into our food system and have had exposure to the idea long before people were interested in the environmental impact. We have neglected an entire trophic level for far too long and are now recognizing the negative effects of that. While insect agriculture has become incredibly politicized and feared by Americans, humans should know that eating bugs is optional but restoring them into our food systems is not.
Those processed bug options that are growing in popularity may be a great starter option, but if you’re feeling adventurous, we invite you to cook with critters yourself. Maybe start by trying out one of the recipes below! If we keep talking, learning, and trying we can get more people on board and create a change that is a win-win for our planet and our health.
Check out a few of the bug bites I put together –
