So I have this friend who is all eco-food-conscious; she only eats organic, shops at the local farmers' market, reviles GMOs, and has drastically cut down her meat consumption. But, she simply refuses to eat bugs. Whenever I talk to her about it, she literally gags. This amuses me, because it’s a complete logistical gap: For anyone who cares about food and the environment, the increase of bug farming and bug food products available should be seen as a very good thing. Vegetarians and vegans may be about to throw their computers on the floor as they are reading this, but the fact of the matter is that not everyone the planet is going to eat only plants, and the introduction of bugs into our diet could serve as a more environmentally friendly protein source than meat. Don't believe me? Check out this Food and Agriculture Organization report that discusses all the reasons we need to get on the bug bandwagon.
Listen, friends — I know the idea of snacking on a cricket or a worm is not that appealing. But, if it makes any difference, they really don’t taste bad; they even taste good! I recently ate cricket cookies that blew my mind. Also, you are probably already eating bugs every day without knowing it (the FDA allows for a certain amount of “defects” in processed foods, including bug parts, bug larvae, bug sacs, and more), and you haven't died yet.
To prove that bugs are edible (and even delicious) we asked some R29ers to try out dishes such as black-ant guacamole, grasshopper-encrusted shrimp, and grasshopper cake — all from The Black Ant in NYC. Check out the unique eats — and reactions — in our video.
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