Eating insects

[Milkyway]

I have just watched a BBC News item about the nutritional value of eating insects... mainly about Italy.

Crickets ground down to make flour... the presenter had some Pasta, very tasty but couldn’t tell the difference.

... but, the ‘flour’ is more expensive.

NB: The link presenter said that she is a vegetarian, & won’t be eating it.

Edited by Milkyway on Saturday 8th July 10:29

[DodgyGeezer]

it's the way we're being conditioned to go (yes, yes, I know - tinfoil at the ready)

[Cockaigne]

DodgyGeezer said:

it's the way we're being conditioned to go (yes, yes, I know - tinfoil at the ready)

What does that mean? Humans have eaten insects since our beginning, great apes eat them, so it isn't ''unnatural''.

People eat shrimps etc no issues, they are the insects of the sea. It is just cultural issues. I think ethics is a part, people are happy to want no animal cruelty yet eat mass produced meat. Eating an animal that isn't as well developed mentally is surely more ethical all round?

[PastelNata]

Friend of mine from Zimbabwe (Rhodesia back then) used to eat flying ants abdomens when the ants flew into our school playgrounds in South Africa.

He said they tasted like butter.

[Milkyway]

I wonder if Locusts are edible... that would save a lot of harvests.

[mikiec]

I’ve had crickets a number of times, it’s a crunchy fired food that if seasoned well is pretty tasty.
Also been to an insect tapas place in Cambodia, don’t recommend water beetles, scorpion tastes much like peanut butter and tarantulas are quite edible.

Insects as food crops make a lot of sense, high protein, easy to breed and can also be used as feed for fish farms and chickens. The cricket flour seems pretty stupid however, especially when is was more expensive than fillet steak per kg when I last looked.

[marksx]

Yeah £52 for a kilo of flour is pretty ridiculous.

[boxst]

I've had all kinds of insects in China. I have to say I didn't enjoy most of them, mainly due to the texture. The actual flavour was relatively neutral and tasted of whatever sauce / sugar / honey was coating them.

[Saleen836]

A friend from Mexico came to stay and brought with her some fried chapulines, to me they didn't taste of anything really but the husband of one of my cousins had a bit of a craving and ate the rest of the bag

[TwigtheWonderkid]

Most people happily eat prawns. Basically an insect that lives in the sea.

[grumbledoak]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

Most people happily eat prawns. Basically an insect that lives in the sea.

We don't grind the whole prawn into flour.

There are health concerns with humans eating chitin. There is also money to be made. So we can expect ground insects to be added to everything shortly.

[Milkyway]

grumbledoak said:

TwigtheWonderkid said:

Most people happily eat prawns. Basically an insect that lives in the sea.

We don't grind the whole prawn into flour.

There are health concerns with humans eating chitin. There is also money to be made. So we can expect ground insects to be added to everything shortly.

I blame Ant ‘n’ Dec

[mikiec]

I’ve had crickets a number of times, it’s a crunchy fired food that if seasoned well is pretty tasty.
Also been to an insect tapas place in Cambodia, don’t recommend water beetles, scorpion tastes much like peanut butter and tarantulas are quite edible.

Insects as food crops make a lot of sense, high protein, easy to breed and can also be used as feed for fish farms and chickens. The cricket flour seems pretty stupid however, especially when is was more expensive than fillet steak per kg when I last looked.

[dickymint]

Cockaigne said:

DodgyGeezer said:

it's the way we're being conditioned to go (yes, yes, I know - tinfoil at the ready)

What does that mean? Humans have eaten insects since our beginning, great apes eat them, so it isn't ''unnatural''.

People eat shrimps etc no issues, they are the insects of the sea. It is just cultural issues. I think ethics is a part, people are happy to want no animal cruelty yet eat mass produced meat. Eating an animal that isn't as well developed mentally is surely more ethical all round?

I think you have totally missed the point Dodgy was making.

[Cockaigne]

dickymint said:

I think you have totally missed the point Dodgy was making.

Conditioned to use food sources that are more ethical.

It is like those going about EV being the future when the reality is travel less, don't buy from Amazon. People can choose their own destiny but too lazy to change, so probably agree there.

[Silvanus]

Have no issues eating them, have done before. Far more natural and nutritious than some of the absolute st humans eat these days.

[generationx]

Saleen836 said:

A friend from Mexico came to stay and brought with her some fried chapulines, to me they didn't taste of anything really but the husband of one of my cousins had a bit of a craving and ate the rest of the bag

I’ve had these deep-fried grasshoppers in Mexico. Crunchy, basically take the flavour of what they’re cooked in (in this case chilli). Frau GenX wasn’t keen…

[Cockaigne]

Chickens cost about a quid to 1.5 , 28 days alive. Are we really moaning about insects replacing cheap chickens for example.?

KFC Kentucky Fried Crickets?

[nikaiyo2]

They are popular all over Asia…

In Thailand you can buy them pre packaged, like crisps.



|https://thumbsnap.com/LzpC6vsh[/url][url]

Or in Cambodia they cook them fresh as a roadside snack
]|https://thumbsnap.com/ZWAhBtq1[/url][url]


Silkworm grub- If you can imagine squeezing a spot, that satisfying splurt, in the mouth is rather unpleasant, the goo tastes like what I would imagine spot puss tastes of.

Tarantula- great texture, the legs are bit like sour pork scratching, the body is texturally like the silkworm, bursty puss sack, but with a nasty bitter acidic edge, a bit like when you are a kid and put a 9v battery on your tongue.

It might be because we are culturally inclined to shun such food and see it as disgusting, but I found them pretty unpleasant. Not something I would eat out of choice.