Bug Appetit!
- Six Foods
- Nov 24, 2015
- 1 min read
Thailand is a country with one of the most vibrant insect eating cultures. Thai consumption and cultivation of insects has been booming in recent years, while many other cultures have been eating fewer bugs as they adopt more Western foods into their diet. Insects are providing the Thai with valuable nutrition - adding protein, healthy fats and vital vitamins and minerals to their diets.
About 200 insect species are consumed throughout the country by everyone from rural farmers to hipsters in Bangkok, and the government is super supportive as well.
The people of Thailand eat many insects such as the giant water bug from the wild, but they are also leaders in commercializing and pioneering insect farming. While most entomophagous cultures eat only bugs they’ve gathered, Thai farmers have innovated ways to grow them in captivity. Crickets are largely farmed in the south, while palm weevil larvae are farmed up north, both species boosting economic growth for small farmers.
(Did you know: there are about 20,000 cricket farmers in Thailand!) While the farmers aren’t becoming cricket billionaires (...yet) they are gaining valuable income to feed their families.
Basically, when it comes to all things edible insects, Thailand is the gold standard. We have a ton to learn from them in terms of farming, societal acceptance and even recipe inspiration. Check out the school kids chowing down HARD on some fried grasshoppers. Also, cricket pad thai, helloooo.
Comments