I’m not the greatest fan of spiders and I taught myself to ignore them rather than run from them because I could never bear the thought of killing them but the mere idea of eating them makes me shudder horribly. In some cultures eating bugs and insects may have developed out of necessity for food or some legend that it might give certain powers or enhance virility but now they consider normal or even a delicacy. Here are 8 edible bugs from around the world.
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1. Tequila Worm
It’s not unusual to find bottles of tequila with a worm included but how about a tasty tequila flavoured lollipop? Guess what, it’s sugar free so you can enjoy a tasty sweet treat without a ton of extra calories. Definitely not a lollipop to feed the kids. You might also find lollies that contain an edible mini scorpion from California.
2. Baked Tarantula
This is a favorite Cambodian delicacy. You buy them pre-baked so you just remove the fangs, reheat and eat. OK ladies if you don’t feel sick already, read on for more edible grubs.
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3. Pregnant Crickets
Have you got $6 to spare? How about spending it on a packet of tasty pregnant crickets from Thailand? Crickets are caught, blast chilled then clean and cooked. After being salted they are packed for you to eat as a yummy treat.
4. Wichetty Grubs
Made famous in the bush tucker trials of jungle game show I’m a Celebrity Get me Outta Here, the wichetty grub is probably the most well-known of the edible grubs. It is a staple of the aboriginal people of Australia. They are large white wood eating moths or beetle larvae that are high in protein and are eaten raw or lightly seared.
5. Larvets
These are a range of crunchy fried mealworms that come in flavors like Barbeque, Cheddar Cheese and Mexican Spicy. As edible bugs go, at least these offer variety.
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6. Chocolate-Covered Ants
I may be a chocoholic but I have no intention of becoming a human anteater. A packet of 8 wafers is sold as a tasty gift or party treat for $7.50 on insectcandy.com. I hope I never get invited to that party. If you are getting a fancy for edible bugs you can also chow down on chocolate-covered crickets.
7. Casu Marzu
One of my favorite chefs is an Italian, namely Antonio Carluccio. He’s a simple man with a simple passion for food and I just adore his programs where he tours Italy and brings us dishes that real Italians eat in their own homes but the day he spent with some gnarly old shepherds in their remote mountain shack was a day I had to look away from the TV. He ate a cheese made by the shepherds which was crawling with live maggots. I swear you could smell this fermented sheep’s milk cheese through the television.
8. Ahhh, Glasshoppa
In the countries around the Persian Gulf, edible grubs in the form of baked, fried or boiled grasshoppers and crickets are popular.
The next time you have a snack attack I’m sure you will be rushing out to buy a packet of these yummy scrummy edible bugs, yes?
No?
Why not?
Top Photo Credit: Randy Cox
