Last week, the United Nations turned the Western world into a dinner table full of finicky children.
Do they really expect us to eat bugs?
The international organization says that insects provide a reasonable way to combat hunger and reduce pollution. In many parts of the world, eating bugs is no more taboo than eating vegetables. The U.N. notes that more than 2 billion people already supplement their diets with insects.
Before you make that face — you know, the Brussels sprouts one — you should know that you probably already eat insects.
“Lobsters and shrimp are arthropods. That’s one way we’re already breaching this divide,” said Susan Fisher, an entomologist at Ohio State University.“The government itself puts out a list of all of the allowable insect parts in processed foods. So if you go to the freezer and buy processed foods, you’re already eating them.”
That’s right: Your microwave entree might just include a hidden helping of spider legs and fly wings.
But some local experts say we should take that one step further.
Insects are “nutritionally very good — high in protein, low in bad kinds of fat,” Fisher said. “ From a strict nutritional standpoint, they’re better for you than eating cows.”
And besides, raising animals for slaughter carries economical and environmental costs, she said.
All that manure and methane have to go somewhere. Not to mention the fact that the deforestation and labor required to raise farm animals exceed those of insect farms, Fisher said.
Mark Berman, a Columbus entomologist and insect chef of sorts, suggests lightly roasting crickets or waxworms at 190 degrees for about an hour.If you get bitten by the culinary bug, so to speak, the Internet is full of insect recipes, from grasshopper tacos to mealworm pancakes.
Fisher said she will occasionally whip up insect popcorn balls, quiches and egg rolls. Grubs and larvae are staples of her dishes.
So let’s say you decide to give it a whirl. Can you snack on backyard beetles or wade into the woods and find a good meal? Not really.
“I’m not recommending anything outside as OK to try,” Berman said. “Usually, most things that aren’t brightly colored are OK, but urban areas probably have some pesticides.”
(Most bright colors on insects serve as an advertisement that they are toxic.)
Cricket farms and local pet shops are good places to gather ingredients, Berman said. He said he usually freezes the bugs beforehand and rinses them before cooking. And he’s confident bugs will be on grocery-store shelves in no time.
“Ten years ago, if you asked someone about sushi, that was unheard of,” he said. “It wouldn’t surprise me at all if Kroger had signs out front advertising bugs in 10 or 15 years.”