When are insects edible?
Insect food stall
Although most insect orders are edible for humans, the most popular, in terms of number of species eaten, are Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Orthoptera, Lepidoptera, Hemiptera and Isoptera. Together they contribute more than 80% of insect species eaten by humans, and coincidently are also the most common orders eaten by primates (Raubenheimer & Rothman 2013).
Insects, like any food, are eaten either for their taste or nutritional value. Larvae and pupae are more common than adults with a complete exoskeleton. Roasting, boiling or smoking insects before consumption will make them safer to eat by removing the effects of poisons and killing any parasites. The process of cooking insects also makes them more tasteful, and gives most of them a nutty flavour (Gullan & Cranston 2010).
Insects are energy dense and have a high protein content. Most species can provide a considerable proportion of recommended daily requirements of numerous micronutrients, vitamins and minerals for humans, as well as meeting amino acid requirements. Composition of individual nutrients varies between species, developmental stage and feed; however the main components are protein and fats. Nutritional analyses by Rumpold and Schluter (2013) found three grasshopper species (Melanoplus femurrubrum, Sphenarium histrio and Melanoplus mexicanus), belonging to the order Orthoptera, had the highest protein content of the 230 edible insects tested, with up to 77% of dry weight as protein. Evaluations of protein quality compared to other protein sources have had differing results. Cricket meal, for example, can be better than soy protein, while silk worm pupae protein is of lower quality (Raubenheimer& Rothman 2013).
Tips and tricks, as well as full recipes, are found extensively online and in recipe books. The EAT-A-BUG Cookbook (David George Gordon) includes recipes such as ‘Pest-o’, ‘Ordonate Hors d’Oeuvres’ and ‘Superworm Tempura with Plum Dipping Sauce’. Creepy Crawly Cuisine: The Gourmet Guide to Edible Insects (Julieta Ramos-Elorduy) also has a number of recipes, along with a guide to cleaning and preparing insects. Websites such as Insects are Food and Girl Meets Bug include recipes and general information on edible insects and entomophagy.
Insects, like any food, are eaten either for their taste or nutritional value. Larvae and pupae are more common than adults with a complete exoskeleton. Roasting, boiling or smoking insects before consumption will make them safer to eat by removing the effects of poisons and killing any parasites. The process of cooking insects also makes them more tasteful, and gives most of them a nutty flavour (Gullan & Cranston 2010).
Insects are energy dense and have a high protein content. Most species can provide a considerable proportion of recommended daily requirements of numerous micronutrients, vitamins and minerals for humans, as well as meeting amino acid requirements. Composition of individual nutrients varies between species, developmental stage and feed; however the main components are protein and fats. Nutritional analyses by Rumpold and Schluter (2013) found three grasshopper species (Melanoplus femurrubrum, Sphenarium histrio and Melanoplus mexicanus), belonging to the order Orthoptera, had the highest protein content of the 230 edible insects tested, with up to 77% of dry weight as protein. Evaluations of protein quality compared to other protein sources have had differing results. Cricket meal, for example, can be better than soy protein, while silk worm pupae protein is of lower quality (Raubenheimer& Rothman 2013).
Tips and tricks, as well as full recipes, are found extensively online and in recipe books. The EAT-A-BUG Cookbook (David George Gordon) includes recipes such as ‘Pest-o’, ‘Ordonate Hors d’Oeuvres’ and ‘Superworm Tempura with Plum Dipping Sauce’. Creepy Crawly Cuisine: The Gourmet Guide to Edible Insects (Julieta Ramos-Elorduy) also has a number of recipes, along with a guide to cleaning and preparing insects. Websites such as Insects are Food and Girl Meets Bug include recipes and general information on edible insects and entomophagy.
“It’s no more dangerous than a shrimp”
David George Gordon, biologist and chef (Chiang 2004)