A tasty snack of beetles, crickets and other insects
The idea of having a snack of beetles, crickets and other arthropods and insectsis something that will turn most people’s stomachs and there are many places in the world that have markets full of these delicacies. If you sample this fare while roaming the world, are you being brave or just foolhardy?
In parts of Asia, Africa, South America and Australia insects, including locusts, crickets, beetles, caterpillars, and bamboo worms, are a common snack. Some people eat scorpions, and tradition says that eating the tail (where the stinger is) will make you strong. In China, you can also taste test exotics such as jellyfish, seahorses, starfish, and sea urchins.
Why eat them? Of course there’s the pure adrenaline rush around trying something new and unusual. But there are actually health benefits to eating insects. Pound for pound, insects contain more protein, fat, and carbohydrates than meat, and could help resolve hunger issues around the world. They can even help address environmental concerns. Thailand’s countryside is drying out, possibly because of global warming, which makes it difficult to farm large animals, so some farmers are switching to raising insects.
While insects have not yet inspired a holiday feast, many local outdoor markets are brimming with choices on a daily basis. The Wangfjing Street Market and Donghuamen Night Market got a lot of press during the Olympics, and offer tons of variety. Time Out in China recommends other, less-touristy options.
A few words of caution as you explore: in the interest of general food safety, choose things that are cooked right in front of you and have been prepared on a clean surface. Be sure you know what you’re eating, for example “fugu” in Japan is blowfish which can be poisonous if not prepared correctly. Finally, please note if you have allergies that blossom into asthma, you want to avoid fried insects!
SOURCE: The Healthy Travel Blog, sponsored by HTH Worldwide
This entry was posted on Friday, July 16th, 2010 at 2:12 pm and is filed under ALC Travel News, AlC Health News, Partners First. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.