PDA

View Full Version : Eating Bugs???



Smok
11-06-2007, 04:09 AM
:eek:I have eaten mayflies and when fried they are like Cotton candy grasshoppers when boiled turn red remove their hind legs and their not bad but you need to cook them ,they have a parasite that you most kill mayflies live only 4 days they do not eat so no parasite grubs GOOD a lot of fat in the wild fat is good what do you know that you can add to this

Stealth
11-06-2007, 09:01 AM
ants are quiet sweet, you just cant eat too much because they are high in tartaric acid

Beo
11-06-2007, 09:11 AM
I ain't never cooked a bug, I just ate it, in the army I ate grasshoppers as quick as I could catch'em, crickets the same way. Never ate a fly cause they tend hang on poop but that's anther thread. :D

explodingearth
11-06-2007, 03:16 PM
bugs are probably one of the easiest and healthy food sources in the wild. if all else faile di could always look for bugs all day long

trax
11-06-2007, 03:38 PM
why so many here seem to be in such a hurry to eat bugs when there's all kinds of good food sources out in the wild. I guess if it really was the last resort, but...yeah I usually can do a little better without too much effort.

explodingearth
11-06-2007, 03:53 PM
tons of animals eat bugs, all the societal superiority bs aside. its just another food source. only thing i dont like about it is the fact that you can take hundreds or thousands of lives a day opposed to one a week with big game.

trax
11-06-2007, 04:11 PM
Hey pal, I didn't rise to my place on the food chain just to cast aside my societal superiority :D But seriously, my point is, like...yeah how many of them does it take to make a meal?

and some of them crawl around in things like Otay remains and such.

RobertRogers
11-06-2007, 06:10 PM
We eat bugs every day whether you know it or not. They are in our food and there is not way to get rid of them all.

Many cultures eat bugs - grasshoppers, for example. No big deal. I figure if you can eat a clam, you can eat anything.

nell67
11-06-2007, 08:20 PM
No way I am eating bugs yuk!!!

Stealth
11-06-2007, 11:54 PM
they may not fill you up very fast, but they have more protein per unit weight than any game animal meat out there

corndog-44
11-07-2007, 12:05 AM
If the human population keeps growing like it is; all of us will be eating farm raised bugs. Only the very wealthy will be eating cattle, hogs, poultry and probably fish. And we all can forget about hunting...there won't be anything left to hunt. An end to life as we know it, eh?

RobertRogers
11-07-2007, 05:04 PM
No way I am eating bugs yuk!!!

If you become hungry enough and wish to live, you will eat bugs. I invite you to read accounts of POW's and inmates in concentration camps. Once you get rid of your preconcieved notions you will find that insects are actually very food food.

But, of course, for some people that takes actual starvation.

Like I always say, if you can eat a clam - which is nothing more than a worm in a shell that filter feeds sewerage - then you can eat anything.

owl_girl
11-07-2007, 05:09 PM
I heard spider taste kindof like crab which doesn’t sound so bad since I love sea food :D.

Beo
11-08-2007, 09:47 PM
If the human population keeps growing like it is; all of us will be eating farm raised bugs. Only the very wealthy will be eating cattle, hogs, poultry and probably fish. And we all can forget about hunting...there won't be anything left to hunt. An end to life as we know it, eh?

If we grow to big I'm eating all you people first... lol... :D

Rick
01-11-2008, 06:41 PM
Well, I'm dredging up another old post but I ran across this site I wanted to share and didn't want to start another thread.

http://www.hollowtop.com/finl_html/finl.html

canid
01-11-2008, 06:47 PM
nice. that page makes me hunger for arthropods. i try not to discriminate too much, land bugs, sea bugs, all the same noise.

Rick
01-11-2008, 07:12 PM
I've actually had my share of insects. Most I don't mind eating. I can't say I've ever had any that were good just okay. I like grasshoppers fried. Ant and termite larvae are okay. I still (and probably never will) be able to bring myself to eat grubs. It's all mental, I know, but still........I read an analogy one time that compared fried grubs to chips with the dip on the inside. Now that's just nasty.:p:(

nell67
01-11-2008, 07:41 PM
I stand by my earlier assessment of the nasty little critters,bleh:eek:

Rick
01-11-2008, 07:53 PM
Here's one you can file away in your book of knowledge. It comes from the same site I posted above:

"The best time to go (ant) pupae collecting is one hour after the sun has hit the mound in the morning. The pupae can be collected just under the surface of the mound at this time. Later in the day the pupae will be moved deeper into the mound to avoid excessive heat. After collecting the pupae, replace the soil and thatch to its original place."

Tony uk
01-11-2008, 08:48 PM
Fryed earthworms, the big ones anyway go nice and crispy and are easy to find, for the nutritional content im unsure of but if you have other food its good to throw some fryed ones into it.

RBB
01-11-2008, 08:56 PM
Fryed earthworms, the big ones anyway go nice and crispy and are easy to find, for the nutritional content im unsure of but if you have other food its good to throw some fryed ones into it.

When my brother was in his teens my folks moved near a larger city (I'd already left home). My brother became part of an Explorer Scout troop that did a lot of survivalist type things. They were supposed to go out for a week with only a sleeping bag, jackknife, and piece of parachute silk. My brother was the only member who gained weight.

In part this came from his ability to snare things - in part because he'd never been adverse to eating grubs and bugs. Even today, he'll grab a grub (sweet), or a locust (crunchy) should one cross his path. I've tried them, now and again, but I'm not a fan.

Tony uk
01-11-2008, 08:58 PM
Ive never been a fan of them myself, I take all the food i need with me sice normal i go for just a few days if its a long weekend so i dont need to trap anything really.

Rick
01-11-2008, 09:00 PM
Tony-I understand if you soak earthworms overnight in water, they will purge themselves of dirt.

Smok
01-11-2008, 09:06 PM
Rick I am glad the site you put up is running for awhile it was down ,it is a good site and I hope some will take the time to read it

Elkchsr
01-11-2008, 09:15 PM
LOL Some of you guys are funny

When teaching survival classes, I try to make them understand any thing and almost every thing that is edible is good

Bugs aren't off the menu, I've eaten a lot of grass hoppers that weren't cooked, the only danger is eating them if there is a grass disease present (don't remember the name of it but has small black spots on the grass, easy to identify and apparently makes you mad in the head if ingested)

Another point that I teach is that
If it stings don’t put it in your mouth, your tongue will swell and roof of your mouth gets real sore

If it stinks don’t put it in your mouth, your breath will taste like the bug for a couple days

If it lives in or on dung... well, that goes with out saying :)

I try not to make a big deal about much of any thing, heck, your just looking at producing a turd and some energy in the process any way... :D

Rick
01-11-2008, 09:17 PM
your just looking at producing a turd and some energy in the process any way

You do know how to turn a phrase...:D

canid
01-11-2008, 09:22 PM
i'd never heard or read that you could get ergotism from insects. i'll have to look into that.

Canadian-guerilla
01-11-2008, 09:38 PM
bugfood (http://www.uky.edu/Ag/Entomology/ythfacts/bugfood/bugfood.htm)

bug cookbooks (http://www.hollowtop.com/finl_html/insect_books.htm)


grasshoppers and crickets

excellent nutrional return for the time/effort invested
one person could collect an average of 200 pounds
of the sun-dried grasshoppers per hour

grasshoppers and crickets (http://www.hollowtop.com/finl_html/huntgathers.htm)

and then there's earthworms ( 50% protein ?)
anyone else hear about contests for cooking with earthworms ?

Rick
01-11-2008, 10:05 PM
I wonder if you contract ergotism because the insect ingested the grain or because the fungus spores are on its body? I suppose if you consumed enough insects with spores on the exoskeleton you could develop some symptoms. Interesting thought.

wildWoman
01-11-2008, 10:09 PM
Think I'll stick to the few mosquitoes and black flies that I inhale by accident and leave the rest for you insect eaters out there.....

Tony uk
01-11-2008, 10:12 PM
Tony-I understand if you soak earthworms overnight in water, they will purge themselves of dirt.

To be honest Rick i have never tryed, i just guve them a wash in cold water and start frying (Or other cooking manor) them.

Rick
01-11-2008, 10:25 PM
Hey, this is on cooks.com. Eating earthworms but be chic!

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1626,145180-246205,00.html

Here is another link for worms:

http://www.yesnet.yk.ca/schools/jackhulland/classes/colberg/worms/recipes/index.html

Tony uk
01-11-2008, 10:28 PM
Hey, this is on cooks.com. Eating earthworms but be chic!

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1626,145180-246205,00.html

Im getting hungry now, deffinately something to try next time im out :D

Thanks Rick

Proud American
01-11-2008, 11:07 PM
This is all intresting, and some what disturbing lol! But you got to eat and some bugs just assked to be eaten when there hoppin and crawlin all over my campin stuff!

Rick
01-11-2008, 11:13 PM
Proud - Insects are a major source of protein for a majority of the world's population. We somehow have determined that eating bugs is beneath our dignity for our culture but the truth is they are very nutritious.

There is a show called Bizarre Foods With Andrew Zimmern on the Travel Channel that looks at many of the foods different cultures eat. The show offers an interesting insight to what is common place in the rest of the world. If you have the opportunity, you might try to watch a couple of episodes.

Elkchsr
01-11-2008, 11:16 PM
Ergotism

Thats it... :)

Thanks, I've been wracking my self for months trying to remember that one

I'm not 100% on this, just remember some thing stated about it in one of my hort classes on the subject when things went a little side ways from the discussion one day

It would be a good thing to know for sure...

Smok
01-11-2008, 11:31 PM
Elkchsr.. You are sure about Parasite in grasshopper ??? I've been cooking and miss talking it for years then, I am Bad :D. O well better safe then sorry

Proud American
01-11-2008, 11:34 PM
Proud - Insects are a major source of protein for a majority of the world's population. We somehow have determined that eating bugs is beneath our dignity for our culture but the truth is they are very nutritious.

There is a show called Bizarre Foods With Andrew Zimmern on the Travel Channel that looks at many of the foods different cultures eat. The show offers an interesting insight to what is common place in the rest of the world. If you have the opportunity, you might try to watch a couple of episodes.

Thanks Rick as always, dont worry, as I have no worries about eating bugs ( actualy as I was reading this post I considered going out side to test some peoples comments. about how good are those Grasshoppers, next timeI see one ill try it).Also the show ill look it up as soon as I can get on You Tube( not workin for me right now).

Elkchsr
01-11-2008, 11:51 PM
Smok...


You are sure about Parasite in grasshopper

I would say it more depends on where you’re picking up your bugs; I would probably cook most things in the deeper, wetter, south as more bad things tend to be able to survive

Other places I probably wouldn't eat insects is areas in and around inner cities as you don't know what chemicals they could be ingesting

In the seventies (or maybe sixties), the scientists were doing experiments on cockroaches where they were feeding them straight cubes of DDT

These little buggers can and do build up tolerances with chemicals that cooking won't alleviate

Just use a little common sense when eating these tasty little, protein rich morsels... :)

Proud American...

Before cooking grass hoppers tend to taste like... well... er... grass... :)

Smok
01-12-2008, 12:40 AM
LOL yes some do Thanks

canid
01-12-2008, 12:46 AM
you can't contract ergotism from spore contact. Claviceps only produces it's toxic alkaloids in it's sclerotial cells, which only form once a colony has matured and then temps have fallen to the 40s or lower [double check that range].

Elkchsr
01-12-2008, 01:02 AM
That is a good sign, not many grass hoppers moving around in those temps, and I'll do some research on the topic next week

I think it will go good in some of my classes... :)

Thanks for the info canid

Rick
01-12-2008, 11:22 AM
Good stuff, canid. Thanks.

AdventureDoc
01-12-2008, 06:35 PM
Eating bugs is not an entirely benign thing. There are a few risks, besides just some diarrheal issues. Tape worms can be carried by some insects. Hymenolepis Nana is one example:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hymenolepiasis

However, in a dire need for food, you gotta do what you gotta do. Raw meat is another concern, as well. The cooking process does wonders for killing these parasites, though.

Catfish
01-12-2008, 09:47 PM
If you've ever eaten a hot dog, you've probably devoured far grosser things than bugs. As others have said, It's all mental.

Rick
01-12-2008, 09:49 PM
All true but the hotdog didn't have legs. At least none I could see.:o

Catfish
01-12-2008, 10:04 PM
All true but the hotdog didn't have legs. At least none I could see.:o
Well they trim the legs off so they'll fit in the bun. Don't you know anything? ;)

nell67
01-12-2008, 10:05 PM
Well they trim the legs off so they'll fit in the bun. Don't you know anything? ;)

Way to go Catfish! You tell him! Ha Rick :D

Rick
01-12-2008, 10:05 PM
I never thought about it like that. That probably explains the little tennis shoe I found last time. One must have gotten through.


In my mostestest hateful voice:

Way to go. You tell him. Way to go. Blah, blah, blah!

Smok
01-12-2008, 10:10 PM
Ha Doc... Parasites in grasshoppers ??? :rolleyes:

AdventureDoc
01-13-2008, 06:06 PM
Yeah, unfortunately. From my limited understanding, the cooking process kills the parasites in the bugs. Yet another reason for that all important fire! :)

marlin22
02-13-2008, 02:55 PM
I know a whole lot about what you can eat. So if there is another food source i can learn about count me in. There is one problem I’m scared of bugs and can see my self sinking my teeth in to a beetles shell it gives me the shivers. So how do you over come this fear? Is this the same thing as some people can’t eat wild meat such as deer because it gives them the ‘‘shivers’’?

nell67
02-13-2008, 02:56 PM
I know a whole lot about what you can eat. So if there is another food source i can learn about count me in. There is one problem I’m scared of bugs and can see my self sinking my teeth in to a beetles shell it gives me the shivers. So how do you over come this fear? Is this the same thing as some people can’t eat wild meat such as deer because it gives them the ‘‘shivers’’?
Close your eyes and pretend it's corn chips??? I dont know,I would be hard pressed to do so myself!

trax
02-13-2008, 03:07 PM
I know a whole lot about what you can eat. So if there is another food source i can learn about count me in. There is one problem I’m scared of bugs and can see my self sinking my teeth in to a beetles shell it gives me the shivers. So how do you over come this fear? Is this the same thing as some people can’t eat wild meat such as deer because it gives them the ‘‘shivers’’?

If you're hungry enough to be eating them, you'll probably be past any former concerns.

crashdive123
02-13-2008, 03:15 PM
For some, the fear of dying will overcome alot of phobias. When we are placed in extrodiary situations, we can often do extrodanary things. Being afraid of water but jumping in to save a life.

Beo
02-13-2008, 03:15 PM
I've eat'n grasshoppers, beetles, fried worms (cooked on a knife blade), crickets, moths, lightening bugs, all kinds of flying insects, ants, and even cooked scorpion over in Desert Storm (which to me is just desert crawfish:D, all eat'n on a bet execpt for the grasshoppers those I ate in Ranger school cause I was hungry.
Oh yeah as a cop I ate a goldfish for $20.00 as a bet, snuk it off the Lieutenants desk.

Rick
02-13-2008, 04:33 PM
Try something you think of as semi exotic. Yucky but doable. Just continue to add to your menu. You don't have to like or want to eat everything. But if you can find a few that you can handle you are just that much better prepared.

I don't eat beetles and I tried a moth once. It had this powdery crap on it that was pretty awful. I don't do grubs either. (shivers).

marlin22
02-14-2008, 02:51 PM
Thank you answered my question thousand percent

Smok
02-14-2008, 07:50 PM
marlin22 Just glad we could help :D

Rick
02-14-2008, 07:53 PM
Yeah, this whole post has been buggin' me.

trax
02-14-2008, 09:33 PM
Yeah, this whole post has been buggin' me.

Really had a bug up yer azz about it didn't ya?

Sam Reeves
06-08-2008, 02:44 PM
I thought bugs was just something to feed your little sister.

Rick
06-08-2008, 06:59 PM
That's why I bugged out the way I did.

Ken
06-08-2008, 07:01 PM
I never thought about it like that. That probably explains the little tennis shoe I found last time. One must have gotten through.


In my mostestest hateful voice:

Way to go. You tell him. Way to go. Blah, blah, blah!

Please control yourself. :( Remember, making fun of Nell is a sin. Right, Trax?

nell67
06-08-2008, 07:05 PM
Please control yourself. :( Remember, making fun of Nell is a sin. Right, Trax?

If it wasn't,it is now,thanks Ken!!

bulrush
06-09-2008, 04:11 PM
In Asia, giant water bugs are popular. Here we call them "toe biters". They get about 4 inches long, with these hefty front arms.

In Mexico street vendors will sometimes sell fried grasshoppers mixed with various types of pepper powder as a dry snack.

You know, I never read about the pioneers eating bugs, nor the Europeans in a history book. Nor did I read about it in the Foxfire books. It must be a white people aversion.

Jericho117
06-09-2008, 05:12 PM
See what I like to do is skip breakfeast in the morning and head out to the woods empty. That way I can eat insects without feeling squeemish. I collect earthworms and squeeze the dirt out of them and eat them raw or I lay them in the sun to dry, then ground them into powder to aid to whatever I kill that day ( I rarely make a kill because im using primitive tools). Pretty gross to me now because im full. But it's a good idea to skip dinner and breakfeast if you want to try insects. Not trying to be anerexcic but it is a good idea if you want to try new things. Compare it to a survival situation, your most likely going to be hungry. Also ants are very tasty, sour at first then sweet. I spend a good 30 minutes collecting ants. I ignore the tannic acid involved with eating ants, there to small to prove effective on my stomach, but it's different for every one. Grubs I eat sparingly but I avoid them sometimes becuase I have heard that grubs that are under leaves when found usually contain toxins. Grasshopper Iv'e only eaten once, decent. And crickets are fairly tasty.

crashdive123
06-09-2008, 06:38 PM
If I have a choice of eating earthworms or cheerios, I'm taking the cheerios.

Jericho117
06-09-2008, 07:03 PM
Same hear, but if a situation does arise, you know im going to be devouring insects everywhere. I mean I don't eat insects every day, but there a really good forest food. Nah with me id make a mean breakfeast burrito......

Teotwawki
06-10-2008, 09:52 AM
No way I am eating bugs yuk!!!

My bet is that you eat bugs everyday!

http://vegetarianorganiclife.com/picture/of/cochineal_beetle.jpg

Snopes: True (http://www.snopes.com/food/ingredient/bugjuice.asp)

Most red dye in food products are made from the Cochineal beetle pictured above.

Rick
06-10-2008, 11:47 AM
I once found a worm in some canned green beans and sent it into the company. Nice letter. Didn't raise cane with them just sent it so they'd know. They sent me a coupon for a case of their green beans. Pretty cool, I thought.

trax
06-10-2008, 12:07 PM
I think if I found a worm in a can of green beans, I wouldn't be wanting more green beans. Or maybe they were trying to show you that it was the one and only <<shrug>>

Rick
06-10-2008, 12:56 PM
I worked pretty well until the ninth time.