I must confess. I don't read every single article that comes out about insect eating. For one, they are getting too numerous! And that's a GREAT thing! But I cannot keep up with it all. Secondly, I get a little tired of the typical story arc that starts with grossing out the reader and then telling them that some people out there are saying we should eat them to save the world. But today a friend of mine sent me a picture of the most recent issue of Edible Cleveland:
First off, I was excited to see insects as the cover story. I was then immediately impressed with the photo that is not there to shock but rather to capture the eye with beauty. And then finally, the little query "Edible?" at the bottom. In our "biz" we have had many discussions about which words we should use to convey what we are studying, selling, promoting, etc. We have already seen a shift away from technical-sounding "entomophagy" and now we all have been using "edible insects" much more. I used this phrase in the title of my just-published book and I already am shifting away from it as well. "Edible" does not properly reflect insect foods because "edible" sounds more like you can eat it. Meaning it won't hurt you. But the word does not do much to convey that insects provide nourishing, real, whole, natural, and tasty options. So in that cover image, which one is a better representative of "edible?" Well a good case could be made that the gummy worms that are made of who-knows-what and offer no nutritional benefits should be called "edible" while the mealworms should be considered food.
All of that just from the cover! So I was intrigued enough to take a look online and check out the story. Well, there were TWO stories, so the surprises just kept coming!
The first one, the main story, opened with:
All of that just from the cover! So I was intrigued enough to take a look online and check out the story. Well, there were TWO stories, so the surprises just kept coming!
The first one, the main story, opened with:
"Friends gather around a table, lavishly set within the constraints of urban sophistication, for a dinner party with a theme."
Yes! We gather to eat! It's a social thing! Let's celebrate that eating bugs brings people together! Do you know how many public bug banquets are run in this country each year?? Well, me neither, but it's many! I'd wager to guess that it averages to about one-per-state a year. And this does not include the the number of times friends have ventured to try insects at a dinner party like the one they are describing here.
As the story went on they playfully talk about legs and eyes, but it is clear they are not going for shock or laughs. That doesn't work in their crowd, why would it work for their readers?
As the story went on they playfully talk about legs and eyes, but it is clear they are not going for shock or laughs. That doesn't work in their crowd, why would it work for their readers?
"Hoping for a laugh, one guest mumbles to draw attention to the leg, dabbed with aioli, dangling from a corner of his mouth. His antics prompt eye-rolling and some light chuckling."
And in the spirit of things continuing to get better and better, the theme of their dinner party was actually crustaceans, not insects. So shrimp were on the menu alongside the crickets and mealworms they were serving therefore any critique one could make about wanting to avoid insects could easily be spun around to point out that it's hypocritical if you are a fan of the shrimp cocktail. Having these together on the menu makes for great fodder while looking to Leviticus to try to understand the taboo that Westerner's have towards eating insects:
“Whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat. Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you,” according to The Book of Leviticus. “Yet these you may eat among all the winged insects: those which have above their feet jointed legs with which to jump on the earth. These of them you may eat: the locust in its kinds, and the cricket in its kinds, and the grasshopper in its kinds. But all other winged insects are detestable to you.”
So if it's supposed to be the Old Testament that is driving our food choices, well then locusts, crickets, and grasshoppers should be everyday fare. Since that doesn't answer it, they decided to look to science. And where did they get their science??? Surprise! My book! Stop making me fall in love with you, Edible Cleveland! They discus chimpanzees, australopithecines, colonial settlers.. the whole shebang! And even better, they flush it out with additional examples that I did not provide in the book.
The article wraps up with discussing how insects are "abundant and Earth friendly" and closes with a toast:
The article wraps up with discussing how insects are "abundant and Earth friendly" and closes with a toast:
"For now, I propose a toast. For those alive today who will see this century through. For our grandchildren and their grandchildren, who will inherit the table we are setting for them, let’s raise a glass: May your choice to eat insects be made around a lavish table surrounded by friends, rather than hunched over a termite mound working a crude bone tool."
It was the end of the article that directs the reader to a recap of their bug taco party online. This second piece captures the fun of experiencing new things together with friends. And the final surprise was that they got their insects from my good friends at Rocky Mountain Micro Ranch!
What a fun Friday afternoon. Thank you, Edible Cleveland!
What a fun Friday afternoon. Thank you, Edible Cleveland!
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