Have you ever thought that some insects may be edible and healthy? The truth is, some insects actually are.
I remember growing up eating termites as a child. Yes! I had neighbours skilled in collecting and eating termites, so I joined their team. We would catch flying termites by placing a bowl of water under fluorescent light. Then by the following day, the termites would have entered the water and died. After that, we would roast or fry these ‘termites.’
Those days, I didn’t know they were termites, but when I realized, I felt disgusted. Now I know better. We call these flying termites ‘esusun’ in my local dialect. Some other tribes call it ‘Aku Mkpu,’ ‘Ebu,’ and ‘Khoya.’ Some ate ‘esusun’ as a meal due to poverty, some as a means to catch fun and some scarcely for its nutrient.
Let’s assume you are given a plate of roasted/fried termite, cricket or palm weevil larvae, locust or grasshopper to eat today. Will you eat it? Maybe not? What if you were given a bowl of crayfish? I bet you will finish it. Although crayfish are not in the same class as insects, they are all arthropods.
I also remember another experience I had while in traffic on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway; I saw some Igbo hawkers selling spiced palm weevil larvae. Initially, I didn’t know what it was until I asked the person sitting next to me. I then could relate these healthy snacks to the fresh appearance of the eaters.
Reports have shown that insects are highly rich in protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, and fat with few anti-nutrient components – https://bit.ly/3Sq4fEE. Some insects are rich in calcium and omega-3-fatty.
Recently, I found how effort is being made globally to produce more environmentally friendly and sustainable protein from insects instead of animals. Protein is easy to obtain from insects with shorter lifespans than from animals with longer lifespans.
Some burgers produced in Western countries now replace beef with worms, and there are claims that the worm burgers are tastier than beef burgers https://bit.ly/3buVU1y.
Wait, this is not a call to eat worms.. but an awakening to a healthier and cheaper source of good protein, which can help alleviate malnutrition.
Remember, insect protein is a high-quality and sustainable source of very healthy and eco-friendly protein. The protein has all 9 essential amino acids. Insects are also good sources of iron, vitamin B12 and other vital nutrients. A source has it that Insects contain almost all the nutritional benefits you get from eating meat, fish and rye bread – at once! (https://bit.ly/3zZmzNF).
Why don’t you give it a try?