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Entomophagy: the new foodie trend?
This foodie trend, which Europeans generally despise, is very common not only in China, but also in much of the African continent, in Australia and in the rest of Asian countries.
We usually hear the majority of people affirm how they love to taste the gastronomy of other countries. However, when we talk about entomophagy, which consists of eating insects, there are many who no longer think the same.
In today’s post, we are going to go over some of the main benefits of entomophagy.
Let’s start by explaining the etymological origin of the word entomofaia: it comes from the Greek and from the combination of the words phagia, which means to eat, and entomo, which means insects.
- This habit, which is practiced in many countries around the world, as we have already pointed out, is present in the diet of approximately 2.000 billion people.
- In Thailand, for example, they have been feeding on scorpions their whole lives.
- However, it has not been until recently that it has become fashionable in European countries, especially since the media have taken over.
For this reason, do not fall into the error of thinking that the ingestion of insects is an “emergency” food for countries with fewer resources.
In fact, insects are consumed throughout the year due to their taste, regardless of whether other food sources may exist.
And this is reflected, for example, in insects such as the emperor butterfly caterpillar in South Africa or the weaver ant eggs in Southeast Asia, which are sold for considerably higher prices.
Benefits of entomophagy
In 2013, FAO recognized the great nutritional properties of insects, which led to certain European countries, such as Belgium, began to investigate and work on “pro-insect” marketing. This led to the opening of restaurants to try caterpillar croquettes or cricket delicacies and, to this day, we are already aware that the worm came to Belgium to stay, thanks to its protein properties.
Thus, Some of the health benefits of eating insects are:
- They are a source of high-quality protein and nutrients if we compare them with meat and fish.
- Most species of insects contain elevated levels of fatty acids, compared to fish.
- Shipping is rich in fiber and micronutrients such as copper, iron, selenium, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, and magnesium.
And finally, it should be noted that there are no known cases of transmission of diseases or parasitoids to humans derived from entomophagy, provided that the insects have been handled under the same hygienic conditions as any other food.
However, we will have to wait to find out if the Spanish prefer to opt for foods such as beetles, caterpillars or bees, instead of other dishes such as the Spanish omelette.
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