Stephanie Bonner
Happy Halloween and bon appétit from this month’s Take Five. We’re taking a look at creepy cuisine from around the world!
Historically insects have played an important role in global nutrition. In some cultures, consuming insects may have originated to ward off starvation, but today many of those insects are considered cultural delicacies. While some people are afraid of tarantulas, others welcome them grilled or fried to perfection. Learn about how some creepy critters can be delicious cuisine around the world in this edition of Take Five: Creepy Cuisine!
- Japan: Aquatic Insects
Dish: Fly or wasp larvae sautéed in sugar and soy sauce.
Insect-based dishes in Japan stem from ancient times when the Japanese population was large but animal protein was scarce. With the abundance of aquatic insects, consuming insects and larvae became necessary for survival. - Bali: Dragonflies
Dish: Grilled or boiled dragonflies with ginger, garlic and coconut milk.
Dragonflies are very difficult to catch. Many methods of hunting both dragonflies and damselflies have been used, for example coating a branch end with natural juices to create a sticky trap, or capture by hand — for the very skilled! - Australia: Grubs
Dish: Grubs eaten raw or cooked in ashes
Throughout history, Aborigines have eaten grubs (moth larvae) that live in the roots of the witchetty bush. These witchetty grubs (the name comes from the tree they live in) supposedly taste like almonds. - Cambodia: Tarantulas
Dish: Fried Tarantulas
Tarantulas are considered by some as a tasty delicacy when fried. This spider is also popular in South America when grilled or roasted. - Africa: Termites
Dish: Roasted or fried termites with salt added for taste.
Termites can be collected by placing a bowl of water under a light source. They are attracted to the light and then fall into the water. It is said that while people of all ages eat winged reproductive termites, the queen termite is considered a delicacy and is only eaten by adults.
Next month in Take Five: Five of Canada’s migrating species!