Places In The World Where The Menu Includes Insects

For most, insects have many meanings, but not that of being a succulent dish. Therefore, we can be impressed, and even disgusted, when we discover that the menu of some place includes a dish made with worms, cockroaches or some other critter.

The truth is that there are many countries  where insects are part of the local diet. As strange as it may seem, insects are also protein and people have learned to turn them into something edible and, sometimes, delicious.

The point is that everyone has to solve the dilemma : eat insects to taste the true local flavors or refrain from doing so due to cultural conditioning that leads us to see them as dirty or unpleasant. Each one decides.

To be prepared, you better know which are those places where the menu includes insects. Here are some of them.

Thailand, where 1,600 insects are consumed

If there is one place where insects are on the regular menu, it is Thailand. In total 1600 different types of insects are eaten. In fact, in that country the consumption of these exotic dishes is part of its tourist attractions.

They are usually eaten roasted or on grilled skewers. There are skewers of all kinds of worms, including silkworms. Also water cockroaches to taste, and grasshoppers, moths and all sorts of critters. The Nana neighborhood, in Bangkok, is the place specialized in this type of dishes.

Mexico, a place of dishes with insects

In Mexico, various types of insects are consumed, but definitely the best known are the famous “chapulines “. These are eaten toasted, without further accompaniment, or in enchilada or marinade dishes. They are crickets or grasshoppers.

It is also very common to find the famous maguey worm in tequila or mezcal. In some areas, escamoles, which are the larvae of an ant, are consumed. So in Mexico you have several dishes with insects to choose from.

Japan and its insectivorous specialties

Japan is another of the eastern countries that take insects as a culinary delight. In particular, the populations of the interior of the country are very given to consuming different types of critters in their usual menu.

Black bee larvae have already reached a gourmet version in different restaurants. Also cooked grasshoppers and worms. As in Thailand, they are fond of eating silkworms and the fried Argentine cockroach is considered a dish of the gods.

Africa and its “insectphilic” palate

There are several countries in Africa where it is customary to eat insects in the daily diet. One of the peculiarities is that many of the consumable species are large. They are giant critters and therefore packed with protein.

For example, in the Congo jungle worms are eaten with cassava flour. In Uganda they consume gigantic worms, which they call “senene”, well seasoned with spice. And in Cameroon and Angola they fry the grasshoppers and put a little onion on them to make them more appetizing.

Meanwhile, in the Central African Republic, roast worms are appetizing snacks. In Ghana, meanwhile, they adore giant moth caterpillars. They also make fabulous breads with the larvae of various bugs.

Surprise: we all eat insects

If you feel some disgust when thinking about those dishes, you better not be so surprised. It is proven that people who are not from those countries  can consume up to a kilo of insects a year  without realizing it.

As scrupulous as you are, there are plenty of bugs that come in fruits and vegetables that are unnoticeable. For example, a glass of orange juice involves the ingestion of at least five fruit flies. If you take it every day, by the end of the year you will have consumed up to half a kilo of these insects.

Outside of anecdotes, the truth is that the rejection of this type of food is purely cultural. Finally, what it is about is to take advantage of the environment to get nutrients. Many towns and many people could alleviate hunger if we were more flexible with these nutritional barriers.