first time i ate an insect When I was in class VI at Miraambika – Free Progress School in New Delhi, I was on a school tour in the Terai region of Uttarakhand. Our class teacher, a native of Odisha, asked us all to gather around an ant hill and ask us to do something that we found attractive to 12 year olds – take some ants, give them Crush and eat!
I still remember its crunch – initially sour, due to formic acid, followed by a slightly bitter tone and, finally, salty. While most of my classmates ran away from the idea of eating insects, I was infatuated with how Nature has given us endless possibilities of livelihood.
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While my experiences are numbered, using Bugs in everyday cookingThe red weaver ants, in particular, are extremely popular in the tri-state region of Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. Not only this, Mayurbhanj district of Odisha is all set to register its famous Kai (red ant) chutney for Geographical Indication (GI) tag, where it will join its contemporaries like Kashmiri saffron, Bengali Govindbhog rice and Darjeeling tea. .
Kai Chutney is celebrated among the tribal communities of the region not only for its pungent taste but also for its pungent taste. medicinal properties In which it has helped to soothe cough, common cold, jaundice and even the problem of eyesight. These red ants are also rich in protein, vitamin B-12 and minerals like iron, zinc, magnesium, sodium and 18 amino acids. It has also been proven to boost immunity, which helps those who make ant soup to regain their vigor.
Red Hot: The red weaver ant (Ocophylla smaragdina) is considered a delicacy among the tribals in Odisha, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. (credit: Wikimedia Commons)
In order to collect and process the ants, the hunter has to collect the weaver ants from their nest colonies. These nests are built using leaves on trees and are attached to the larvae using silk. In addition, these nests take hold on their own through strong winds and heavy rain. Ants are plentiful during the seasons and once collected, the ants and their eggs are eaten with salt and lots of chilies. To make it suitable for mainstream manufacturing, the Ministry of AYUSH will have to lay down safety measures and guidelines to standardize protocols for sanitation and hygiene. It is expected that efforts will be made towards regulating the production of chutney. Remove stigma and make public perception kinder Towards tribal cuisine.
Entomophagy (the practice of eating insects) It has been seen by millions of people around the world since the beginning of time. While in Latin America, there are escamole (insect caviar) in Mexico and Hormiga culona (female leafcutter ants) in Colombia, which are enjoyed as important sources of fat and protein in Ghana, fried palm weevil larvae, also known as Akokono and Uganda. Known as nsva (insect dish). ) dishes. Of course, Southeast Asia, particularly Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea and Japan, which are famous for their fried crickets, silkworms, cockroaches and locusts, have insects as part of their widespread street food.
Many proponents of entomophagy and food researchers have claimed that this may be the answer. Global food security concerns. One of the biggest challenges to our current food system is the ever-increasing demand for meat, which in itself is an environmentally harmful production process. Gradual changes to insect farming, which will put some pressure on animal husbandry, produce smaller amounts of greenhouse gases and ammonia, require less land, and require far less water. Additionally, a third of all agricultural products in the world go to waste, which can be used for insect farming, reducing food waste significantly.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in its report ‘Edible Insects’ (2013), in fact urged all people to consider the consumption of insects, saying it could be the answer to food insecurity and global malnutrition.
While most people show a general aversion to insects, it may be worth considering how Lobster, Prawns and Crabs – while these are crustaceans – considered sea worms (belonging to the same family of arthropods) and secretions from bees (honey), have been an essential part of our diet since ancient times and even offered to the gods goes. The beginning of a new wave of food will always be approached with moderation, although it should be noted that these changes are the product of our present times and challenges, which present themselves as alternatives to a very serious issue.
Srishti is currently a candidate for MA Food Studies at New York University where she is focusing on Food and Agriculture Policies. She recently earned a BA (Hons) degree in Philosophy from Miranda House and is a keen observer of people, cultures and societies at the intersection of market development and government policies.