UN: Edible Insects Provide Food For Thought

Scoop World NZ ^ | 2/19/08 | Press Release: United Nations

[NormsRevenge]

Edible insects provide food for thought at UN-organized meeting

19 February 2008 – Experts from around the world have gathered in Chiang Mai, Thailand, at a meeting organized by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to discuss the human consumption of insects, some of which have as much protein as meat and fish.

While the thought of eating bugs may turn some people off, it is very common in some parts of the world and even considered a delicacy. Beetles, ants, bees, grasshoppers and crickets are some of the most widely enjoyed of the over 1,400 insect species eaten by humans worldwide.

FAO says that at least 527 different insects are eaten across 36 countries in Africa, while insects are also eaten in 29 countries in Asia and 23 in the Americas. In Thailand, almost 200 different insect species are eaten, and vendors selling insects are a common sight throughout the country.

This week’s workshop, organized by FAO and Chiang Mai University, will examine the commercial and nutritional possibilities offered by insects, as well as the potential for developing them in the Asia and Pacific region. Participants will discuss issues such as collection, harvest, processing, marketing, and consumption of insects.

According to FAO, some insects, in their dried form, have twice the protein of raw meat and fish, while others, especially in the larval stage, are also rich in fat and contain important vitamins and minerals.

Although most edible insects are harvested from natural forests, very little is known about their life cycles, population dynamics and commercial and management potential, according to Patrick Durst, senior FAO forestry officer.

“Among forest managers, there is very little knowledge or appreciation of the potential for managing and harvesting insects sustainably,” he noted. “On the other hand, traditional forest dwellers and forest-dependent people often possess remarkable knowledge of the insects and their management.”

In addition to their nutritional value, edible insects have the potential to provide income and jobs in rural areas for people who capture, rear, process, transport and market the insects. “Opportunities also exist for improved packaging and marketing to make edible insects more enticing to traditional buyers and to expand the market to new consumers, especially in urban areas,” said Mr. Durst.

[CarrotAndStick]

A European specialty:

Casu Marzu:

Derived from Pecorino Sardo, casu marzu goes beyond typical fermentation to a stage most would consider to be decomposition, brought about by the digestive action of the larvae of the cheese fly, Piophila casei. These larvae are deliberately introduced to the cheese, promoting an advanced level of fermentation and breaking down the cheese's fats. The texture of the cheese becomes very soft, with some liquid (called "lagrima", from the Sardinian for "tears") seeping out. The larvae themselves appear as transparent, white worms, about 8 mm (1/3 inch) long. When disturbed, the larvae can jump for distances up to 15 cm (6 inches), prompting recommendations of eye protection for those eating the cheese. Some people clear the larvae from the cheese before consuming; others do not.

 

Appearance and taste Yaroslav Trofimov, writing in the August 23, 2000 edition of The Wall Street Journal, describes the cheese as "a viscous, pungent goo that burns the tongue and can affect other parts of the body". Susan Herrmann Loomis reports an encounter (in a 2002 Bon Appétit article):

He … grabbed a piece of pane carasau, the traditional flatbread of Sardinia, rinsed it quickly under water to soften it and went to a large glass jar on a side table. He opened the jar, scooped out a mound of what looked like thick cream, and folded the bread around it. …When he was finished I asked what he had eaten, and he got up to show me. Inside the jar was pecorino, busy with small, white worms. I'd heard about this cheese, but this was the first time I'd gotten so close. … A friend of his … said, 'It's formaggio marcio [literally, "rotten cheese"], cheese with worms. It's a delicacy. It's the most beautiful gift you can give a Sardinian shepherd.'

The cheese is typically consumed with Sardinian bread (pane carasau) and Cannonau, a strong red wine.
 

A European specialty:

Casu Marzu:

Derived from Pecorino Sardo, casu marzu goes beyond typical fermentation to a stage most would consider to be decomposition, brought about by the digestive action of the larvae of the cheese fly, Piophila casei. These larvae are deliberately introduced to the cheese, promoting an advanced level of fermentation and breaking down the cheese's fats. The texture of the cheese becomes very soft, with some liquid (called "lagrima", from the Sardinian for "tears") seeping out. The larvae themselves appear as transparent, white worms, about 8 mm (1/3 inch) long. When disturbed, the larvae can jump for distances up to 15 cm (6 inches), prompting recommendations of eye protection for those eating the cheese. Some people clear the larvae from the cheese before consuming; others do not.

 

Appearance and taste Yaroslav Trofimov, writing in the August 23, 2000 edition of The Wall Street Journal, describes the cheese as "a viscous, pungent goo that burns the tongue and can affect other parts of the body". Susan Herrmann Loomis reports an encounter (in a 2002 Bon Appétit article):

He … grabbed a piece of pane carasau, the traditional flatbread of Sardinia, rinsed it quickly under water to soften it and went to a large glass jar on a side table. He opened the jar, scooped out a mound of what looked like thick cream, and folded the bread around it. …When he was finished I asked what he had eaten, and he got up to show me. Inside the jar was pecorino, busy with small, white worms. I'd heard about this cheese, but this was the first time I'd gotten so close. … A friend of his … said, 'It's formaggio marcio [literally, "rotten cheese"], cheese with worms. It's a delicacy. It's the most beautiful gift you can give a Sardinian shepherd.'

The cheese is typically consumed with Sardinian bread (pane carasau) and Cannonau, a strong red wine.
 

[Maceman]

Well, they're not insects, but I do love my escargots:

[mountainbunny]

Some cultures look at the fact that we eat eggs in abject horror.

That said... I am not a big bug person, so I don’t know if I could eat them or not. Except we all do eat bugs.

The FDA has a maximum allowable amount of bugs for most foods. And insects are used in food coloring (cochineal and carmine red are made from beetles).

so... //shrugs//

[CarrotAndStick]

Weird, because Indians consume a lot of paneer, which is a type of cheese.

Besides tha is dahi, a very tart, thick yogurt, and almost a staple.

[mnehring]

Just head down to Cajun country. Bugs are good eats.

[RobRoy]

I’ve often wondered what is REALLY in bologna. It’s awfully smooth and pink...

Just sayin’...

[mnehring]

I think people would be surprised how many bugs they consume. I read somewhere the average person eats about 30 pounds of bugs a year, mostly flys that fall into food during processing.

[Domandred]

From RecipeSource:

Title: CHOCOLATE COVERED ANTS Categories: Snacks, Desserts Yield: 6 servings

1742 lg Ants, (if they are sm., -use 2,044) 3 c Melted chocolate

Catch ants at a picnic site and keep them in a glass jar to which you have added a teaspoon of sugar to keep them happy. (Unhappy ants are liable to go sour before processing.) At home, pick up each ant with tweezers and remove entrails with a small, very sharp knife edge. This will take about 400 hours. If you are in a hurry, eliminate this step; you'll never know the difference. Dip each ant into melted chocolate and place to drain on waxed paper. If any of them are still able to crawl off the paper, let them go -- be a good sport!!

[Fiddlstix]

Quick. Somebody alert PETA. Insect cruelty.

[From many - one.]

I think the distinction, for Indians, is that yogurt and paneer are first stages of fermentation, without the bacterial decomposition that happens in “ripened” cheeses. Probably sour cream, ricotta and cottage cheese would be ok too.

[stompk]

“Food is power! We use it to change behavior. Some may call that bribery. We do not apologize.”

let them eat bugs !!

[steve8714]

Ye’ll eat a peck o’ dirt afore ye die.

[CarrotAndStick]

Most kinds of cheese are commonly available in Indian markets. Even fermented ones. I guess the persons you referred to probably have an allergy to cheese.

Anyway, I found this:

100% Vegetarian Cheese made from microbial rennet

...which stands out against this, from WiKi:

Rennet is an enzyme mixture traditionally obtained from the stomach lining of young cattle, but now also laboratory produced. Vegetarian alternatives to rennet are available; most are produced by fermentation of the fungus Mucor miehei, but others have been extracted from various species of the Cynara thistle family.

Natural calf rennet is extracted from the inner mucosa of the fourth stomach chamber (the abomasum) of young calves. These stomachs are a by-product of veal production. If rennet is extracted from older calves (grass-fed or grain-fed) the rennet contains less or no chymosin but a high level of pepsin and can only be used for special types of milk and cheeses. As each ruminant produces a special kind of rennet to digest the milk of its own mother, there are milk-specific rennets available, such as kid-goat rennet especially for goat's milk and lamb-rennet for sheep-milk. Rennet or digestion enzymes from other animals, like swine-pepsin, are not used in cheese production.

[From many - one.]

Definitely no allergy, and not a vegetarian, but food must be extremely fresh: chicken for lunch is killed at lunchtime.

Western meat tastes “spoiled” and has a “bad smell.”

I’m not sure if vegetarian cheese counts as cheese. Is is vegetarian as in no dairy, or just no rennet? And is it ripened in any way?

[CarrotAndStick]

It’s made from fermented milk, but no animal-origin rennet is used.

[CarrotAndStick]

Milk as in cow’s, goat’s or buffalo’s milk.

[dfwgator]

“Slimy, yet satisfying.”

[From many - one.]

Thanks. More or less confirms the distinction between fermented and decomposing (my preferred kind).

They really could be given different names, preferabley three: first stage being the fermented stuff, then bacterial decomposition, then bacteria plus fungi...wait, make that four: bacteria plus insects.

[NormsRevenge]

good old grubs and giant night crawlers,, used to dig em up and use em for bait and catch panfish and crappies.. never thought once about deep frying them and sparing the fish..

[NormsRevenge]

my wife loves escargot too,, we’re heading out on a 2 week cruise this spring so she’ll get her fill and mine on the side too..., I like lobster and shrimp tho..