Insect foods

Insects eaten as food in many parts of the world — China, Japan, rural Africa, and rural South America among them — where they form a valuable, readily available source of protein and minerals. Grasshoppers, crickets, locusts, bees, and ants are among the types consumed. Most species are eaten roasted, fried, or boiled, though a few are eaten live. In the Western world, insect foods are generally seen as taboo, although some insect products are sold as novelty foods — and farmed-insect protein is now gaining regulatory acceptance as a sustainable ingredient.