Edible Insects: A Global History

Abstract

“Why eat insects?” you may ask. The answer is simple: because they are nutritious and because, if we want to save the planet, the future of food is insects! Even if you have never considered eating insects, this book might change your mind. Gina Louise Hunter, a food anthropologist at Illinois State University, will take you on an adventurous voyage across various historical and geographical locations by tracing the steps of entomologists, historians, and anthropologists who have studied and tasted insects. Hunter also provides the reader with information on the future status of entomophagy, the practice of eating insects. The book is visually stunning, and every page is glossy. Edible Insects contains numerous photographs and insect recipes, a few of which I tried and enjoyed very much!Insects have been eaten by humans for thousands of years. It’s estimated that today about 2 billion people eat insects as a regular part of their diet and that at least 2,111 different species of the animals are eaten. Examples of edible insects include crickets, grasshoppers, locusts, cockroaches, beetles, termites, ants, bees, wasps, caterpillars, and mealworms. Bugs are widely eaten, too. (In North America, the word bug is often used by the public to mean insect, but scientifically bugs comprise a distinct order of the class Insecta.) Insects are sometimes eaten raw but are often cooked. Preparation techniques include boiling, roasting, grilling, and baking. Insects are also stir-fried, deep-fried, or added to porridge or rice. In many parts of the world today, the animals are a delicacy.This engaging and thought-provoking volume contains numerous well-referenced anecdotes and facts about edible insects, making it a short but well-balanced overview of the diversity and richness of insect-eating cultures. Hunter’s style is warm and welcoming to readers of all backgrounds, as well as nontechnical and personal, as she tracks the role of insects as human food, from our prehistoric past to current food trends. In doing so, the author takes the reader across many cultures while making clear the potential of insects to alleviate global food shortages and provide a better way to manage our natural resources. The author is also candid about insect consumption and misinformation, writing that consuming insects is “not the magic bullet to ending world-wide huger” but rather one of the tools we can use to better manage food disparities and combat climate change. The last chapter in the book highlights the promise and challenges of insect farming on a large scale and provides the reader with a sustainable solution for alternative animal protein production.While Edible Insects may not inspire you to take a bite of a mealworm chocolate chip cookie just yet, it will at the very least increase your appreciation and love for the largest group of animals on Earth, the insects!