Personally I find this --sustainable-- idea revolting but . . .

[Michaelangelica]

. . .especially after recently munching on a cocroach leg (strong taste!)
I was just reading an interesting article on edible insects in Cosmos no longer available on line

Cosmos - October/November 2008 - Departments & Regulars (Page 70)
Moreover, edible insects can forage on a far wider range of plants than do ...
digital.cosmosmagazine.com/cosmosmagazine/20081011/?pg=73

"Cows and pigs are the SUVs of the food world.
And bugs--they're the Piruses, maybe even bicycles".

The argument for eating bugs (a pretty good one):
1. We eat them now eg the US FDA says it is OK to have up to thirty insect pieces in 100g peanut butter etc etc

2. Eaten in Africa and Asia (& 113 countries) some are delicacies.

3. We eat crustacean from the sea crustaceans and insects all are arthropods.

4. Sea crustacean eat dead meat --- insects are vegan.

5. Crickets or Grasshoppers can be more nutritious than an equal quantity of beef or pork.

6. Fats in bugs are healthier.

7. High in essential amino acids and good protein.

8.Insects are generally clean living in their choice of food and habitat.

9. Insects forage on wider range of food plants than traditional meat animals and so can tap sources that are worthless in conventional meat production eg cactus mesquite.

10. Diet conversion is six times higher than beef "Cows and pigs are the SUVs of the food world. And bugs--they're the Piruses, maybe even bicycles".

11. Bugs can be raised sustainably.

[purplepear]

Bug er that MA

[Yukkuri_Kame]

First time I met my Japanese grandmother-in-law she was snacking on some crickets boiled in sugar and soy sauce. She was in her 90's then, and over 100 now. Apparently, when she was younger they were quite poor and would collect grasshoppers by hand, prepare them and sell to folks passing by. Anyway, when she offered the crickets, I accepted and found they were quite delicious treats! Crispy outside, chewy-gooey inside and just the right balance of sweet and salty.

[Grahame]

Are they better for you than eggs? 'cause I'd rather feed them to my chooks and eat the eggs.

[eco4560]

Maybe you could do baked choko rolled in crushed bugs MA? mmmmm.....

[purplepear]

All things taste great with an open mind and plenty of garlic butter.

[Michaelangelica]

Maybe you could do baked choko rolled in crushed bugs MA? mmmmm.....

purplepear
Bug er that MA

You are all evil, rude people and god will get you and fry you in GM canola oil!

Thank you Yukkuri_Kame for your constructive, first hand comment.I hope you do not follow the example set by our more senior members

I have eaten witchittry grubs, they were OK, a bit like squishy peanut butter, but wouldn't go out of my way to find more.

The thing is, the case made for eating bugs is VERY good --sustainably wise.
The word for it is Entomophagy
Search that and you get
Why not eat insects, by Vincent M. Holst (1885) - Part 1
http://www.foodreference.com/html/artinsects1.html
and
http://www.manataka.org/page160.html
and
http://www.melaniejean.com/insectcuisine.htm
Perhaps it is all a learning curve?

[Speedy]

I seem to recall reading somewhere that M.Fukuoka studied the edibility of insects during the war years.
Please let me know if anyone can confirm.

I used to get the larvae these for fishing bait out of the ground under eucalypts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trictena_atripalpis
http://lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.co...i/atripal.html

Often, if the fish were off the bite, I'd roll them in the hot ashes of a fire for a few minutes
then eat them.
Very fatty/oily, peanut buttery (sort of) taste with partially digested sawdust giving a nice wood sort of flavour and interesting texture.

Raw, they're not as enjoyable, they're a bit acrid and gooey and kind of sting the back of my throat.

like Raw egg vs. cooked egg I guess , most people go for the latter if given the choice.

I eat these anyday if given the chance.
4-5 is a good feed.

I've also tried longicorn beetle larvae ( wood borers) ,
but they're nowhere near as good in taste or size.

[Moe]

hi, I was in Thailand recently and tried a grasshopper at a night market. It was good! seriously! It tasted like soy sauce and sort of grainy/reedy... Hard to describe. Maybe like multi-grain bread with lots of husks still in it. If you've ever eaten raw wheat you'll know what i'm talking about haha. The texture was very crunchy and reminded me of chips.

[mos6507]

IMHO, the process of learning to tolerate eating bugs is just a transition towards Soylent Green. It's a canary in the coalmine.

I draw the line at leeching acorns on my dietary powerdown extremes.