Whether you've eaten them by choice or not, you have eaten insects. In fact, according to the Agricultural Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), "it's predicted that you'll eat as much as 1 pound of insects in your lifetime."

This is because, USDA states, "insects and parts of insects are impossible to eliminate completely in modern food harvesting and processing." So the U.S.


Food and Drug Administration allows a certain amount in food.

Although this eating of bugs is not on purpose, there are many bugs - almost 2,000 of them! - that are eaten by humans. In fact, the eating of the masses of sudden, swarming locusts, as well as mosquitoes, flies, and ant colonies, could be considered a form of natural pest control!

A few of those listed by USDA and the Thai Guide to Thailand, along with where and how they are primarily eaten are:

Bug: Locusts
Where eaten: Africa, South Korea.
How eaten: Gathered in early morning before they become active, then boiled, cleaned and salted.

Bug: Termites
Where eaten: Africa, Australia
How eaten: Large queen castes, where a single termite can be as long as 3 inches, are eaten lightly salted or converted them into a colorless oil used for frying
Nutritional benefit: Termites are a better source of protein than beef, but they also are high in fat.

Bug: Caterpillars
Where eaten: Mexico, Africa, Asia
How eaten: Caterpillars are sold fresh then fried; beetle grubs and silkworm pupae and eggs are also eaten.

Nutritional benefit: Provide protein and iron

Bug: Crickets
Where eaten: Thailand
How eaten: Cooked and served as crunchy snacks
Nutritional benefit: The mole cricket contains high levels of protein, iron, calcium, phosphorus, vitamins B1 and B2 and niacin.

Bug: Beetles
Where eaten: Thailand, China
How eaten: As a fancy snack
Nutritional benefit: Provide high amounts of protein

Bug:Bees
Where eaten: Thailand
How eaten: Bees nests containing the eggs, larvae and partially formed baby bees are eaten as a delicacy

If you would decide you'd like to try bugs as food, the following bug cookbooks have recipes for some of the most popular:

• Eat-a-bug Cookbook by David George Gordon. As described on his website, "The Bug Chef creates culinary masterpieces using ants, grasshoppers, water bugs, centipedes, scorpions and their kin. Since the release his book, The Eat-a-Bug Cookbook (published by Ten Speed Press in 1998), Chef Gordon has been giving cooking demonstrations throughout America and in several foreign lands." Additionally, the original book published in 1998 with "33 ways to cook grasshoppers, ants, water bugs, spiders, centipedes, and their kin" was revised in July to include "40 Ways to Cook Crickets, Grasshoppers, Ants, Water Bugs, Spiders, Centipedes..."
  
  
• Creepy Crawly Cuisine by Julieta Ramos-Elorduy. Including such creepy recipes as Stink Bug Pate, Wasp Salad, Leaf-footed Bug Salsa and Pizza, and Braised Ant Brood, this book gives an entirely new meaning to "all-natural" foods, not to mention natural pest control!
  
  
• Bugs Appetit by Chad Peterson. A downloadable book that is described as containing "25 tasty recipes, guaranteed to please…. This book is intended for those already eating insects and seeking new and exciting recipes. It is also for those who love culinary arts and are seeking new ways to tantalize their taste buds."
  
  
• The Insect Cookbook by Marcel Dicke - Although it is currently available only in Dutch, the book has received worldwide media attention. The author is a professor of Entomology at Wageningen, the staff of which participated with the FAO in the writing of " Edible insects: future prospects for food and feed security." A recent article in DCist Daily reports that the Insect Cookbook will be released in English in the fall, 2013.

For more information on Edible Insects, See Part 1:Edible Insects: Bugs for Dinner