Top 10 Bugs Humans Can Eat

Top 10 Bugs Humans Can Eat

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We’re not sure why you would want to, but if the mood strikes, go ahead and gobble down some of these bugs. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Bugs Humans Can Eat. For this list, we’ll be looking at various bugs which are perfectly edible, with or without cooking or other forms of preparation.

Oops, mind the stinger. While simply picking a bee off a flower and popping it in your mouth may be ill-advised, eating a bee is perfectly safe, particularly when it is still in its infancy. Natives of many countries love to eat bee brood, which is the larvae and pupae of a bee. Apparently, they taste like nuts, so that’s fun. Bee brood is high in carbs and protein, so if you’re trying to buff up, forget the protein shakes; Try some baby bee. Bee larvae is also eaten alongside rice, banana leaves, and shredded coconut in the Indonesian dish botok tawon. Other people just straight-up eat the drones. Whatever tickles your fancy.

Cockroaches are usually perceived as public enemy number one. Some people will run away in a panic upon the slightest hint of one. But for other people in many areas around the world, cockroaches are considered a healthy food. They are cooked in oil in China, which gives them a crunchy exterior and a soft, warm interior. Yummy. The Chinese even grind them and sell them in pill form for a variety of ailments, including heart disease. While you may not want to eat the cockroach which just scuttled out from beneath your fridge, they are perfectly edible when correctly prepared.

The sound of crickets keeping you up at night? Just go out there, shove a few in your mouth, and show them who’s boss. Crickets are considered a yummy and healthy snack in various parts of South Asia, including Thailand and Vietnam. Thailand produces roughly 7,500 tons of crickets per year for food, and you can easily buy flavored crickets at your nearest novelty store. They are often killed and cleaned before they are deep fried. However, you don’t even need to fry them. Simply popping them in your mouth and chowing down is fine, if a little disgusting. But hey, if you’re feeling up to a challenge…

Just like any great culinary ingredient, there a myriad of ways in which to prepare and enjoy beetle. As with crickets, you can just pick one up, pop it right in your mouth, and enjoy the crunch and goo (although we certainly wouldn’t recommend it). You can also fry them up and enjoy a healthy snack. Beetles are commonly eaten within the Amazon and parts of Africa, and they are a rich source of protein. Other forms of beetle, including diving, longhorn, and June beetles, are eaten in various areas around the world. With so many people recommending it, they must be on to something, right?

You may smell disgusting after eating a stinkbug (and you may lose a few friends in the process), but aside from that, there is no harm in sampling the little guys. They CAN be eaten raw, but like we said, you’ll smell nasty. Instead, try them pan fried, which gives the iodine-rich bugs a crunchy texture. Apparently, they taste like cooked apples mixed with bitter medicine. Jumiles, which are stinkbugs native to Mexico, are widely eaten and enjoyed in Mexican culture, either on tacos or when ground and added to a salsa. So, next time you’re having taco night, try them with a little stinkbug. Your curiosity will thank you.

You probably had some childhood friend who ate a worm on a dare. While we certainly don’t condone eating raw earthworms (mostly due to the dirt, and, you know, parasitic potential), you can certainly chow down on the creepy crawlers with a little preparation. Worms are full of protein, iron, amino acids, and calcium, among other nutrients, and they are considered a delicacy in parts of New Zealand. In other areas, like Venezuela, they are boiled or smoked. They apparently taste like dirt (literally), but hey, they’re packed with nutrients, so if you’re a health nut, give ‘em a try.

You may think termites to be disgusting and scary little creatures, but they are actually revered and quite popular in various areas of the world. Some people say they taste good. We wouldn’t know, nor do we want to find out. Various tribes of Africa collect and eat termites, as do citizens of poor countries, as termites are abundant and rich in nutrients, particularly protein. They are usually prepared through roasting or frying, where they apparently take on a nut-like flavor. So if you’re out of chestnuts this Christmas, try roasting termites on an open fire.

We’ve briefly touched on bee larvae, but by far the most widely eaten form of larvae are the ones of the beetle. Let’s get this out of the way first: while they may be one of the nastiest looking things on the planet, raw grubs are perfectly safe and edible. In fact, they’re quite rich in nutrients, although they apparently taste terrible. If Bear Grylls can barely get through one, we can only imagine how the rest of us would fare. You can also cook them over fire or fry them in a pan if you want them a little crispier, but either way you spin it, you’re eating grub. Nasty, yes, but technically consumable.

Grasshoppers are full of nutrients, particularly protein, so if you ever find yourself lost in the woods, find a tree with some grasshoppers. You’ll be set for days. But beware, their entrails can pose a risk for parasites. It’s better if you first disembowel the grasshopper by pulling its head off (yes, that is how you disembowel a grasshopper). The best way to eat the little guys is to roast them over a fire, which makes them crunchy and delicious. Locusts also serve as a healthy meal in poorer areas, particularly when a whole swarm of them devastate local vegetation. As the old saying goes: if you can’t eat the veggies, eat the locusts. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a couple honorable mentions. Flies/Maggots Woodlice

Believe it or not, ants are perfectly edible, which is a good thing to know if you’re ever in a survival situation, because they are everywhere. They can be eaten raw, although you should probably make sure they’re dead – swallowing a group of live ants would probably not feel too good. You can also fry them up and enjoy a nice little snack, or boil them and just send them down the gullet. The good news is that ants are very healthy. They are a huge source of protein, calcium, and iron, plus they’re low in calories and carbs. Forget the salads - ants sound like a good diet to us.