Are Insects Going to be on Your Dinner Plate?

We’re pretty adventurous eaters and over the past year we’ve tried everything from beef tongue hot pot in Japan and cow brain soup in Turkey to – yes, INSECTS in Thailand.  And honestly we walked away from each of those three meals with a smile on our face and nutritious food in our belly.

Entomophagy is humans eating insects as food. You can eat the eggs, larvae, pupae and adults of an array of insect species.  So we tested out what the big hype is all about. We gathered the gang, got on our scooters and went to a local market in Phuket to sample crickets, larva and worms. They were freshly fried up right in front of us then heavily seasoned with some spices and sauce before ready for the feasting.

To be honest it took us all a little courage before we dug into the mixture but once we tried and realized it just tasted like the seasoning that was on it, there was nothing to be intimated by.  One-by-one we chomped down and were really surprised with the flavor and juiciness of the larva’s insides. It became an addictive little snack to carry around and munch on at the market.

We can see it now: being cuddled up on the couch with a bag of Roast Chicken flavored Crispy Creeps, watching a Bug’s Life with Murphy.

So although eating insects is one of the “Top Things to Do When In Thailand,” it really is more than just that.  For some it’s a way of life, culturally normal and extremely necessary to supplement protein, fats, minerals and vitamins.

In the developed countries, eating insects may seem uncommon or gross but in many parts of Asia, Latin America and other developing countries you’ll see locals collecting bugs for dinner on their way home from work.  It’s a cheap and sustainable source of protein with other nutritional benefits.

There are some huge mindset hurdles to jump over before landing into the idea that bugs are okay to eat. First of all, bugs are creepy and have this gross slime on them but when cooked properly the texture is fantastic!! Put proper seasoning on them and BAM! you have yourself a great little favorite next to your popcorn. Most of anything in life that we think is super bad or gross is only really made up in our own minds and what we’ve been exposed to as normal. That’s what was nice about being uncomfortable and unfamiliar with traveling to these new lands – eating bugs became an opportunity to experience and be open minded to the way other people live.

These days, there are some companies that are trying to introduce insects into Western diets for a bunch of reasons like the rising cost of animal protein, environmental/ecological factors, population growth, etc.  If you’re interested in reading more check out the following link Edible insects – future prospects for food and feed security or click below to watch a 16 minute Ted Talk.  You’d be surprised but the speaker mentions that each of us already unknowingly consumes 500 grams per year of insects in items such as peanut butter or tomato soup.

So Paulina’s rule of thumb is you have to try everything THREE TIMES (even if it makes you gag the first two times).  That doesn’t mean try three bites of the same piece of food in one sitting – it means try it on three separate occasions, prepared possibly three different ways by three different cooks. Don’t just dismiss something as gross the first time you try it because food depends on quality of the product, creativity of the cook, and the good ol’ TLC it’s prepared with.

Our first experience eating bugs (besides the overpriced, chocolate covered ones we get in Canada) was surprisingly enlightening and we’ve decided it’s definitely worth learning about a little more.  We won’t be surprised if one day down the road between your fish and chicken options at the grocery store, will be a tidy row of refrigerated creepy crawlers.

Go out and be weird guys! Try something new … maybe try it three times!