English 1010
Haley Stokes
05/07/2010
The Importance of Entomophagy
Imagine a bright red jelly bean, melting on your tongue. What you may not know, is that the outer glaze and ruby hue are derived from common insects. You may feel repulsed, but in many cultures, insects are a dietary staple. It makes sense to integrate insects into the common human diet because they are plentiful, eco-friendly to cultivate, and could benefit starving populations around the world.
Entomophagy is the practice of eating insects. Insects are part of the arthropod family, which account for an estimated 90% of Earth's animal population(“insected.arizona.edu”). These include such creatures such as centipedes, spiders, and lobster.
Chances are you have consciously eaten a variety of arthropod species, especially if you like seafood. Almost everyone has eaten a crustacean, like crab or shrimp. Consider the likeness to their smaller cousins; the “hexapod”, or insect. The segmented bodies, exoskeleton structure, antennae, and paired segmented appendages are too similar to deny a strong visual relationship between the make up of the two phyla. In the eyes of consumers however, a big difference remains; we draw the line when it comes to eating insects.
In reference to the aforementioned jellybean, most common red food coloring dye is made from the Cochineal insect of Peru. You can find it on ingredient lists as “carmine”, or “carminic acid”. It is found in many beverages, meats, and lipstick (“boston.com(The Boston Globe)”). It can also be found in yogurt, ice cream, candies, and more. It is considered a “natural ingredient” in many foods (Adams). Also, most confectioner's glazes are made from “shellac”, which is derived from beetles (“extraordinaryhealth.com”). While these examples don't qualify uses of these products as true dietary sustenance, they do illustrate the usefulness of insects within the food industry.
So far, there are at least 1,462 recorded edible insect species, and likely thousands more (Price). Giant water beetles, caterpillars, grubs, crickets, mosquito eggs, termites, ants, cicadas, bee larvae, and tomato worms are popular delicacies in many parts of the world (“WebEcoist.com”). Most edible insects are nutritious. They are a great source of protein, carbohydrates, calories, vitamins, and minerals.
Edible insects are palatable and tasty. Below is a list of various arthropod species, and corresponding flavors, written by Barb Ogg, for the Nebline Newsletter:
"* Raw termites taste like pineapple and cooked termites have a delicate, vegetable flavor.
* Grubs (which are larvae) of palm weevils taste like beef bone marrow.
* Fried agave worms (canned in Mexico) taste like sunflower seeds.
* Diving beetles (available in Chinatown in San Francisco) taste something like clams.
* Fried grasshoppers taste like sardines.
* French-fried ants (imported from Colombia) taste like beef jerky.
* A praying mantis, fried over an open fire, tastes like shrimp and raw mushrooms.
* Fried wax moth larvae taste like corn puffs or potato chips.
* Fried spiders taste like nuts.
* Fried baby bees taste like smoked fish or oysters.
Unappetizing? Consider that honey, a food that is appropriate in our culture, has been swallowed and regurgitated hundreds of times by honey bees." ("Ogg, para 2")
This list shows a broad diversity of insect flavors. There is truly something for everyone's acquired tastes.
In all habitable (and many inhospitable) regions of the planet, insects can be found aplenty. Suburban American backyards are no exception. All one needs to know about entomophagy is what, and how, to eat properly.
First, one should educate themselves on what type of insect species are edible. Specialty guide books, survival manuals, cook books, internet articles, and online journals are great informational resources.
Field guides have pictures, descriptions, nutritional data, and regional insect populations. Some contain anecdotal notes, alternative uses, and other factoids. These guides can also tell you where best to find each insect in nature (below ground, in hollow logs, etc..)
A fast look through an insect recipe books will give you an idea of the most common used species for meals in North America. Crickets and meal worms are the most prevalent insect ingredients from what I've read. Cook books will also give you an idea of the limitless possibilities for preparing insects to eat.
Online journals, encyclopedias, and articles are great for learning the basics of entomophagy. However, information retrieved via the web should be checked against other sources for accuracy. Scholarly source material is advised for educational purposes.
Most edible insects can be eaten live. They can also be freeze dried for friendlier consumption. To get over the fear factor inherent with eating insects, start simple. Begin by incorporating insects into everyday meal recipes, as you would with common proteins such as ground beef or soy products. Entomophagy shouldn't be treated as a dare based diet. A person should feel positive with their choices when beginning any perceived radical shift in lifestyle. Otherwise, risks outweigh benefits, and time and resources become wasted. Eating insects is a huge dietary step in our culture, but it's not that hard to do.
Preparing insects to eat is simple. They can be cooked just like any other food, with minimal preparation. All one needs to do is wash, strain, and put them in the freezer (If you don't have the heart to boil them alive). Once immobile, you can remove the wings, legs, and head. Add them to your favorite recipe, and cook to flavor. You can prepare them in pasta dishes, soups, casseroles, and desserts. There are hundreds of recipes readily available online for anyone curious about entomophagy. You can also find insect cookbooks at all major book stores. Here is a sample recipe from the 1989 25th Anniversary Swimsuit Issue of Sports Illustrated, reprinted in 'The Food Insects Newsletter', for Oaxaca enchiladas:
"Ingredients
About 1000 grasshoppers (the younger the better)
1/2 cup chili sauce
pinch of salt
garlic
onion
1 lemon
1 cup guacamole
6 tortillas
Directions: Soak the grasshoppers in clean water for 24 hours. Boil them, then let dry. Fry in a pan with garlic, onion, salt and lemon. Roll up in tortillas with chili sauce and guacamole."("DeFoliart 7")
You don't have to go hunting in your yard, or in a field to find insects for dinner. Harvesting these creatures from the wild can be a daunting task for any person, especially if you have to feed 6 people with the aforementioned enchilada recipe. It is advisable to get your insects from a known safe source, free of possible toxins or ingested pesticides(Price).
In a pinch, one can purge insects suspected of pesticide ingestion by feeding them fresh greens for 24 hours. Venomous arthropods, such as tarantulas, scorpions, bees, and wasps can also be cleansed of toxins or parasites by boiling or cooking them (Bryant). It is important to know the environment from which you get your food resources, and how to prepare them to eat. This makes insects no different than any food source.
Edible insects can be easily found on the open market for those who don't have land resources for harvesting purposes. Bait shops and pet stores carry a plentiful stock of crickets and meal worms (beetle larvae). You can find many online distributors that sell greater varieties of insects in bulk at lower costs as well. You can buy your insects live, or freeze dried. For the serious entomophagy aficionado, one can even raise their own livestock at home.
Proper cultivation is central to the production of food insects. On a local level, or for mass distribution, insects should be raised like any other livestock. Over harvesting them from nature can deplete their populations.
A 25 year study done by Julieta Ramos-Elorduy in Hidalgo, Mexico, reveals that many of the indigenous insect species are being exploited by commercialization and high demand. These insects were primarily part of the rural peasant diet. Now they are considered a delicacy, and are sold in major cities on the open market. Outsiders and locals alike have become reckless in their harvesting methods. Earning money has become more important than preserving the insects' natural habitat. Without replenishment strategies, many of these species are fast becoming endangered (Ramos-Elorduy)
Problems caused by over-harvesting can be avoided by learning how to maintain insect populations with sustainability in mind. Few resources are required for cultivation of common edible insects. The process is easy, and takes little space. It can even be done at home. For cultivation of beetles, for example, all one needs are containers for storage, fresh grains for feeding, and a carrot or potato slice for water (Insect cultivation requires very little water). It takes 12 weeks to raise them from egg, to meal worm, to adult beetle (Price). At home one can raise crickets, grasshoppers, and many other types of insects with low maintenance. Insects cultivation is eco-friendly. They take up little space and require few resources. Also, insect cultivation doesn't require antibiotics like other livestock (Elson).
Edible insects don't have visual appeal for consumers in their natural form. Their integration could be made palatable by processing them into common, identifiable food products. Insect flour, for example, is easy to make. All you have to do is bake insects at a low temperature until dry, and then grind them up. The flour can be spread on any food for extra protein, or used in everyday recipes(Price). I could see insects being made into sandwich patties, sauces, pasta, spreads, pastries, and supplements. This same strategy has worked well for vegan and vegetarian food substitutes.
Insects are a plentiful and important food resource, and could have a positive affect in the aid to fight starvation in third world countries and abroad.
One billion of the worlds six billion people suffer from malnutrition. An estimated 2 billion people live on vitamin and mineral deficient diets, which puts their health at risk. To make matters worse, large amounts of grain are used to produce bio fuels, animal feed, and sweeteners, while millions starve to death (Bassett, and Winter-Nelson) Promoting insect cultivation education on local and international levels could ease the hunger pangs that so many children and adults needlessly suffer through every day.
Though entomophagy is common in many cultures around the world, some developing regions are beginning to shun the practice. This is due to the spreading influence of western ideals, and our attitudes concerning what foods are acceptable to eat (Elson). This may lead to resistance for expanded insect production. Regions that suffer from lack of food resources shouldn't look to our processed drive-thru culture for answers pertaining to dietary need. Edible insects should be seen as health food, not tiny monsters.
In 1848, crickets invaded the crops of Mormon settlers here in Utah. The fields were only saved when seagulls came to the rescue. They swooped in, and ate swarms of insects. Witnesses at the time considered this a miracle. I heard this story many times growing up, and wondered why birds would eat the crickets, but the settlers wouldn't.
Indigenous peoples around the world have for centuries successfully harvested insects as human and animal food. It's a good way to spare crops, without resorting to starvation, or in modern times, pesticides. Plus, insects are many times higher in protein and fat than the plants from which they feed.
Let's compare the productive value of cricket versus cow. The food conversion efficiency of the cricket is five times that of cattle. Considering the female cricket can have 1500 offspring, compared to four calves per market cow, the true food conversion efficiency rate is really 15-20 times that of bovine livestock (De Foliart 395-399).
The Mormon cricket story reflects how our culture continues to view insects. We make them out to be the nemeses of agriculture, and mankind's plight. Our options within this narrow mindset become limited to three ways of dealing with the insect scourge wrought upon us by their dominion: 1)Hope they go away; 2)Pray for divine intervention; or 3)Introduce toxic chemicals to our crops as a stop-gap. I think we can do better than that. Advanced insect harvesting methods could be implemented to reap the benefits of all resources made available to us.
With such an erroneous stigma attached to entomophagy in civilized society, the whole idea of insect integration into our daily diet faces an uphill battle. Insects are alien, creepy, and unappealing to the general populous. This fear is ingrained in us. Put an insect on anyone and they will most likely freak out. We go out of our way to kill, poison, or flee from bugs. It's only natural, given our upbringing.
Insects are considered field pests, yet it has been shown that they can be harvested in harmony with crops (De Foliart 395-399) Insect matter can potentially cause allergic reactions in humans (Phillips, and Burkholder). So can wheat, soy, dairy, nuts, fruit, and anything else you can think of. Food allergies are not limited to insect ingestion or contact alone. A person should listen to their body, and not succumb to fear reactions when it comes to eating simple, healthy, foods.
Integrating insects into the common diet may not be for everyone. I know people who still refuse to eat tofu, because “it doesn't seem right”. Those who are stuck in their ways tend to view new options in life as threatening, or an infringement upon their liberties, wants, and needs. It doesn't have to be that way, but old dietary habits die hard.
With better education and awareness of edible insects, modern society could make a shift in its dietary ideology. Insect cuisine could find a niche in restaurants and kitchens everywhere. This change has to start here, in our culture, where our powerful influence and industry could make this valuable food source a healthy staple for worldwide mass distribution. A common sense diet with the inclusion of insects should be no more fanciful than the processed garbage food we pledge allegiance to with our hard earned dollars. Our attitudes toward entomophagy can have a direct affect on the world, and it's food shortage problems. It will be difficult for us to invite insects into our food pyramid without some preconceived paranoia. The biggest obstacle to making a difference, is to find a way to face down our misguided phobia of insects.
Citation Sources
"Eco-Friendly Protein: Edible Bugs." WebEcoist 07/07/2009: n. pag. Web. 28 Apr 2010.
"Are insects used to make food coloring?." boston.com(The Boston Globe) 03/06/2006: n. pag. Web. 28 Apr 2010.
Adams, Mike. "Ground up beetles found in yogurt -- carmine serves as insect-based food coloring ingredient." NaturalNews.com 10/31/2004: n. pag. Web. 28 Apr 2010.
Ramos-Elorduy, Julieta. "Threatened edible insects in Hidalgo, Mexico, and some measure to preserve them." Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine (2006): n. pag. Web. 1 May 2010.
DeFoliart, Gene. "Insects as Human Food." Crop Protection 11. (2006): 395-399. Web. 2 May 2010.
Price, Aletheia. "EATING BUGS!." http://eatbug.com/ n. pag. Web. 2 May 2010.
"Arthropod Information." http://insected.arizona.edu 1997: n. pag. Web. 2 May 2010.
"Issue 88: From Jordan's Desk: Bugs in Food--Beetle Juice, Anyone? ." extraordinaryhealth.com 2010: n. pag. Web. 2 May 2010.
Bryant, Charles W. "How can I tell if a bug is edible?." 14 April 2008. HowStuffWorks.com.
Bassett, Thomas J., and Alex Winter-Nelson. The Atlas of World Hunger. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2010. Print.
Phillips, Joel, and Wendell Burkholder. "Allergies Related to Food Insect Production and Consumption." Food Insects Newsletter 8.2 (1995): n. pag. Web. 3 May 2010.
Elson, Ashleigh. "Livestock of the future: insects??." Radio Netherlands Worldwide (rnw.nl) 04/12/2010: n. pag. Web. 3 May 2010.
DeFoliart, Gene. "They Ate What? (Catching up on the magazines)." Food Insects Newsletter 4.3 (1991): 7. Web. 3 May 2010.
Ogg, Barb. "Insect Flavors of the Month ." NEBLINE Newsletter 2009: n. pag. Web. 4 May 2010.
