Edible Insects and Their Cultural Significance

Grasshoppers known as chapulines have been eaten since Aztec times valued for protein and cultural heritage.

Crickets are a staple in Thai cuisine ground into flour or fried reflecting a long-standing food tradition.

Locusts permitted in Leviticus were eaten by John the Baptist symbolizing austerity in Judeo-Christian lore.

Papua New Guinea’s indigenous people harvest sago grubs from palms a practice tied to cultural sustenance.

Beetles like the scarab larvae were delicacies in Rome showcasing wealth and exotic tastes in their diet.

Grasshoppers called "nsenene" are a seasonal treat in Uganda reflecting local culinary and festive traditions.

Cerambycid beetles’ larvae were harvested from trees by Aborigines a sophisticated traditional food practice.

Grasshoppers known as "inago" are sweetened or boiled in soy sauce a cultural remnant of rural sustenance.

Tarantulas are fried and sold in Cambodia a post-war food tradition now a cultural tourist attraction.

Silkworms consumed fried or boiled in China are tied to health beliefs and centuries-old culinary customs.