The Case for Eating Bugs
Everything you never wanted to know about the culinary art of entomophagy
As I sit here contemplating world events, I pop another chapulin grasshopper into my mouth and savor the combination of crunch, squish, and spice that I’ve grown to love. So far today, I’ve eaten so many chapulines that my lips pucker from the lime and salt.
After living in Mexico for 12 years, eating fried grasshoppers has become part of my normal. I’ll pick up a bag of bugs in the market just as casually as you might grab some chips at the checkout counter.
A few decades ago, the idea of eating insects seemed absurd to me. Like most folks in “civilized” western society, I would’ve gagged in disgust at the thought of letting a nasty, squirmy little bug come anywhere near my mouth.
So, what happened? Well, as it does for many people, travel changed me.
My Introduction to Insect-Eating
I had my first experience with entomophagy when I visited Thailand. I was playing a gig in a reggae bar in Chiang Mai. Between sets, we chatted, drank Singapore Slings, and smoked Thai reefer — all courtesy of the proprietress.
After the show, our hostess disappeared into the kitchen to prepare some snacks for us. Emerging with…
