Chapter 10
Eating on the
Wild Side
Crickets and mealworms are tame compared to the more exotic arthropods people eat: spiders, scorpions . . . even cockroaches. It’s best to avoid eating urban roaches hanging out behind garbage cans. But according to Seattle-based bug chef David George Gordon, in general, cockroaches are delicious and nutritious. Some people say that when fried, Madagascar hissing cockroaches (Gromphadorhina portentosa) taste like crunchy fried chicken.
Termites (classified as the suborder Isoptera) are closely related to cockroaches. They too are often considered pests. And yet many of the more than two thousand termite species are edible, delicious, and nutritious. Termites are considered good food in more than two dozen countries in Africa, South America, and Asia. They are high in protein and a great source of vitamins A and C.
In rural areas, certain types of termites construct huge mounds using a mixture of dirt, saliva, and dung. The termites live in a nest at the base of the mound. To harvest the insects, people first dig a hole near a termite mound. Then they burn bundles of grass near the termite mound to bring out the termites, which are attracted to the light. As the termites come out of their nest, the termite hunters herd the insects into the hole and collect them there.
Termites build impressive mounds, building their nests at the base or underneath. Fried, steamed, and roasted termites are popular for eating in many parts of the world. Termites are also used in traditional medicines in some areas.
People fry, steam, or roast termites. Or they may boil them and then dry them in the sun or smoke them. Sometimes they pound or grind sun-dried termites into a powder and mix in other ingredients to make meat loaf, sausages, or muffins. Termites are high in nutritious fats too. People use termite oil (collected after frying the termites or by pressing dried termites) to fry other foods.
Humans may also benefit from termites in other ways. For example, certain types of termites are popular in traditional medicines in Brazil to treat ailments such as sore throats, coughs, and asthma. Many termite species live underground and have developed chemical resistance to disease-causing bacteria, viruses, and fungus in the soil. Recent medical experiments tested termite hemolymph—the insects’ equivalent to blood—and found that it can kill certain bacteria. Compounds from some species of termites appear to be effective even against bacteria that are resistant to conventional antibiotic drugs.
Beetle Soup, Zazamushi, and More
Nearly 150 years ago, beetles were becoming a huge problem in France. Cockchafers (Melolontha spp.) had invaded farmers’ fields in the Normandy region of western France. The regional government wanted to exterminate the bugs. But a French senator had a better idea: eat the beetles. He published a recipe for cockchafer soup that was so scrumptious that it became a local delicacy.
Cockchafers are members of the Scarabaeidae (or scarab) family. All the beetles in this family—including June bugs (also called June beetles), Japanese beetles, chafers, and rhinoceros beetles—are edible and delectable.
Cockchafers (a type of beetle) are crispy and crunchy in salads and chip dip or on pizzas. Give them a try!
Beetles are also so plentiful that you can eat them without worrying about threatening their survival. They are tasty when marinated and then roasted or toasted. Toss them into salads as crouton substitutes, sprinkle them in brownie batter, or pop them into a snack mix to share with friends.
Looking for fast food? Check out dragonflies and damselflies, members of the biological Odonata family. They can fly at speeds of 35 miles (56 km) per hour. To catch them, dragonfly hunters on the Indonesian island of Bali spread sticky sap on the end of a thin, flexible stick. They tie this stick to a long, sturdy pole and then swish the pole through the air as though they are fishing. Unwary dragonflies and damselflies stick to the sap. The hunters remove their catch, clean off the sap, and then take off the insects’ wings. Dragonflies and damselflies can be fried, roasted over hot coals, or cooked in coconut milk with garlic, ginger, onions, and chili peppers. Some people dip them in egg and seasoned breading or in tempura batter before frying.
People also eat the larvae of dragonflies as well as those of damselflies, caddisflies, stoneflies, and dobsonflies. Unlike their airborne parents, these larvae are aquatic. They live in the water for up to three years, spending most of their time under rocks and debris. The larvae devour other aquatic insects, tadpoles, and even tiny fish. In Japan people refer to these aquatic larvae as zazamushi. Zaza represents the sound of the flowing water in which they live, and mushi means “insects.” Zazamushi hunters shuffle through the water, kicking over stones and picking up the larvae with chopsticks. For larger harvests, bug hunters set up nets in a stream and then walk upstream where they dislodge stones using large rakes. The larvae float downstream and are trapped by the nets. Zazamushi are gritty because they live in stream sediments. Before cooking, chefs rinse the insects to get all the grit out. Restaurants in Tokyo sell zazamushi simmered in a mix of soy sauce and sugar.
The More Legs the Merrier
There comes a time when an entomophagist wonders whether six legs are enough. Why not try a tarantula? After all, folks living in Cambodia and Venezuela enjoy eating these hairy eight-legged critters. Among the Piaroa people of Venezuela, children as young as five hunt tarantulas in the jungle and roast them over a fire. The spider they prefer is Theraphosa blondi, sometimes called the Goliath tarantula, or the South American Goliath birdeater. It can grow to the size of a large dinner plate, more than 1 foot (0.3 m) across.
In Cambodia, people call tarantulas a-ping. Farmers there collect a local species, Haplopelma albostriatum, or the Thai zebra tarantula, to sell at city markets. In Phnom Penh, the capital, restaurants serve fried tarantula. And the town of Skuon is famous for street vendors who sell delicious fried tarantulas.
No matter where, hunting tarantulas has its dangers. The spider has large fangs that can deliver a painful bite. In addition, tarantula hairs can sting the skin and cause irritation. Before eating the spiders, cooks singe (briefly burn) the hairs off. The fangs can be used as toothpicks—handy! Tarantulas taste like their arthropod relatives, shrimp or crabs.
If your taste runs more toward lobster, consider the hairy desert scorpion. Bug Chef David George Gordon eats these critters from the American Southwest. He says the tail and claws are the best meat of a scorpion, as in a lobster—just be sure to avoid the venomous stinger. Half a world away from the southwestern desert, in China, scorpion on a stick is a popular snack. Cooks stir-fry and season small scorpions, which they sell in street markets. Westerners describe the taste of these scorpion snacks as similar to chicken skin from spicy fried chicken.
For most people in the United States, scorpions (like most other entomophagic fare) are a novelty. One way to eat them is in candy. You may see displays of colorful, fruit-flavored scorpion lollipops—each with a fully edible scorpion visible inside—at gift shops and gas stations across the United States. So keep a sharp eye out!
Try a scorpion lollipop! Depending on where you live, you can find them at gas station convenience stores and even airport gift shops. Or you can buy them online.
From cricket tacos and dandelion pancakes to kudzu salsa and roasted nutria, Americans are learning to be climate-savvy about the way they eat. Whether starting small with dandelion greens or going wild with zazamushi, anyone can take a bite out of climate change, global hunger, and agricultural pollution. You can make a difference.