Chew On This

While finding a trial of ants in your kitchen doesn’t really make you want to scoop them up and throw them on top of a salad for lunch, believe it or not, there are several countries that find ants to be a delicacy.

Doesn’t that just make your mouth water? Or maybe it’ just makes your skin crawl.

Well let’s add to that. Here are a few other perfectly edible insects.

Ants

There are various types of ants that most people consume, but throughout various countries, ants are common to eat like honeypot ants, leafcutter ants, and lemon ants.

• Honeypot ants have large abdomens full of a nectar-like substance that they use to feed other ants, and are usually eaten raw by aboriginal people in Australia.
• Leafcutter ants are mainly toasted and consumed in South America and are said to taste like a mix between bacon and pistachios.
• Lemon ants are most commonly found in the Amazon, and based on their diet are not only named after the lemon, but also bear a lemony taste.

Worms

You’ve probably seen a little worm at the bottom of a bottle of tequila before, but even without all that liquid courage, people regularly eat worms.

• Agave worms are a common proof of authenticity for tequila, but are also commonly consumed in Mexico as a part of a meal.
• Bamboo worms are usually fried in Thailand and eat their way through bamboo before changing into Grass Moths.
• Earthworms are rich in protein and iron and are commonly consumed in Venezuela
• Wax worms are usually a parasite of bee hives, but when raised in farms, they’re fed a diet of bran and honey and are roasted or sautéed for consumption. Apparently their taste comes close to pine nuts.
• Silk worms, yes, as in those little bugs that produce tiny threads that we turn into clothing. Not only is the thread they produced highly sought after, the worms themselves are a pretty popular dish in Korea.
• Mopane worms are fairly popular in South Africa. Mopane worms can even fetch a higher price at the market than beef. When dried, they reach a taste much like jerky.

Household Snacks

• Termites are largely consumed in Kenya straight out of the their mounds, but why go hunting for a termite mound, when they’re most likely already in home, eating away at your foundation.
• Woodlice, or more commonly know to children as ‘rolly-polies’ are from the crustacean family and are believed to turn red like crabs and lobsters when cooked, but we can’t be sure they bear the same flavors as lobsters.
• Grasshoppers, like ants, are pretty commonly consumed and can be easily found in novelty food stores. But in Mexico, they’re regularly consumed by roasting them with chili and limes.
• Cockroaches, ok, so you can’t really eat the ones you might find in your home, but Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches are commonly toasted, fried, sautéed, or boiled and eaten.

While it’s not really suggested for you to gobble up whatever bugs you may find underneath your bed to as a solution to a pest problem, our professionals are more than qualified to help you get rid of those pesky bugs. Call us now at 801-544-9200 for a free quote, and check out our previous post on How to Prevent Bugs from Entering Your Home.

By Fiona Marcelino