/r/edibleinsects
Insects are healthy, nutritious alternatives to mainstream staples such as chicken, pork, beef and even fish (from ocean catch). Many insects are rich in protein and good fats and high in calcium, iron and zinc.
Insects already form a traditional part of many regional and national diets.
The practice of eating insects is known as entomophagy. The earliest citing of entomophagy can be found in biblical literature; nevertheless, eating insects was, and still is, taboo in many westernized societies. The unconventional nature of entomophagy has meant that farming insects for food and feed has largely been absent from the great agricultural innovations in livestock farming that emerged in past centuries – with a few exceptions, such as bees, silkworms and scale insects (from which a red colorant is derived). Insects have also failed to feature on the agendas of agricultural research and development agencies worldwide, including at the Food And Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Until recently, references to insects for food and feed have been largely anecdotal. It is therefore unsurprising that insects are still lacking from the diets of many rich nations and that their sale for human consumption remains part of a niche food sector of novelty snacks.
Nevertheless, insect consumption is not a new concept in many parts of the world. From ants to beetle larvae – eaten by tribes in Africa and Australia as part of their subsistence diets – to the popular, crispy-fried locusts and beetles enjoyed in Thailand, it is estimated that insect-eating is practiced regularly by at least 2 billion people worldwide. More than 1 900 insect species have been documented in literature as edible, most of them in tropical countries. The most commonly eaten insect groups are beetles, caterpillars, bees, wasps, ants, grasshoppers, locusts, crickets, cicadas, leaf and planthoppers, scale insects and true bugs, termites, dragonflies and flies. [ref: http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/i3253e/i3253e.pdf ]
/r/edibleinsects
836 Subscribers
What is your favorite insect to eat while riding your bike?
10:25 UTC
Should I freeze grasshoppers alive or dead?
I catch grasshoppers around my neighborhood a lot and they are tasty. Last year I'd disect the freeze them, but I'm not sure if that's the best way to do it. Should I freeze them alive first or kill them before freezing? Does this affect shelf life?
22:07 UTC
Newbie wanting to try crickets
I want to try crickets for the first time. Something easy I can get as a snack from Amazon. I see lots of options. Anyone have a good recommendation? I prefer something roasted. I don’t care for nacho cheese or sour cream and onion or any of those kind of chip flavors. Just normal seasonings that you’d use in cooking or maybe chocolate.
01:58 UTC
What are your favorite insect/arachnids to eat?
I think the most delicious was in this order:
- Tarantula
- Scorpion
- Meal worms (specifically burritos)
07:20 UTC
EdibleInsects under new moderator
Give me a day or two to get things organized, to clean up the un-approved posts and comments, and to make things operational.
22:17 UTC
Scud farming
Considering the ease of raising freshwater amphipods and their detritivore diet why can't I find anything on raising them for human consumption? Having eaten wild caught scuds on multiple occasions (steamed with salted garlic butter), what is preventing us from raising them for the production of a shrimp paste type product? Has anyone tried this? After all NASA suggested krill as a major protein source of the future a few decades ago, why not try out their more sustainable freshwater cousins?
Edit: I'm aware that scuds aren't insects, but this seemed to be the subreddit most likely to answer my questions. If this question would be better suited to another subreddit just let me know
21:26 UTC
Scientific Proof eating bugs is bad for the environment
It’s called Kleibers Law https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kleiber's_law?wprov=sfti1
00:20 UTC
New made in Italy
Hi guys! i saw this reddit about edible insects! amazing! i wanna share a new product made in italy by my friend! He made a chocolate spread with insect powder instead of nuts. It taste very good and it is light and sustainable!
May i ask you guys to check it out? https://www.instagram.com/foodybug/
They are about to do a kickstarter campaign in a little bit for who would like to support them!
Thanks for your time guys!
17:16 UTC
This sign compares regular snacks to insect snacks
13:47 UTC
1993 MTV News Clip on Insect Eating!
18:41 UTC
Can Bug Farming Solve World Hunger?
17:20 UTC
Farming living insects from reptile food insect colonies
Hello r/edibleinsects,
I want to buy insects that I can share with my scaly friends. The easiest method to self farm insects is with mealworms. I found an alternative species that doesn’t have as much fat as the mealworm, which is much better for bouth me and my reptiles. It’s the zophobas morio. The problem is that I can’t find living insects on human-food websites to farm it but I can find it on reptile-food websites. Does it really make a difference in food-quality when I buy the living insects from a good reptile-food website? (Sorry for bad english just in case)
Kind regards 5ha99yx
14:40 UTC
21:48 UTC
[survey] How much do you know about edible insects?
Hello! I am a student and working on a project about edible insects. I was wondering if you could participate on the survey that is done through google form so I could gather data. The survey is only about edible insects. I am not asking any personal information, and the survey will only take 3 mins to complete.
I included the link for the survey.
22:58 UTC
Are insects the food of the future?
As you may agree, bugs have a ton of protein potential—and are already becoming a big business. I'm so excited to share that we just did a deep dive on all things edible insects on our Quartz obsession podcast!
Let me know what you think! Listen on Apple or wherever you get your podcasts.
(artwork credit Eric Helgas)
15:24 UTC
I've bought a small lot of land and I am thinking to open a livestock of insects for edible purpose. Where do I begin? Are there any good sites or books where I can get an idea?
07:15 UTC
A delicius dish after frying. Its sauce is the best.
02:40 UTC
Are cucumber beetles edible?
The cucumbers in my garden have an infestation of striped cucumber beetles, and I can’t find info online on whether I can just eat them
21:15 UTC
A rare, delicious insect is found in one part of the world, where one unique tribe lives. People around the world now want this particular delicacy. What will happen to the insect and the tribe?
I would prefer a more elaborative explanation, thank you!!
12:42 UTC