Unfortunately, it seems you’ve run out of food. Peering out of your shelter, the only thing you can see are fruitless trees, and an ant colony on one of them. What’s someone to do to survive? The ants? Who knows where they’ve been?
Disgusting as they may seem, insects are not just food for hardcore survivalists when they can find nothing else to eat. In fact, studies have shown that insects are very nutritious and can even be compared with the likes of meat like beef.
In many parts of the world, they are considered a delicacy by people. How many people, you ask? FAO estimated at least two billion people were avid
insect consumers, and that was research done in 2005! Imagine how many people eat them now!
Take for instance, Thailand, where insects on a platter are commonly served. Heck, many would consider a thrip to Thailand incomplete without ever tasting one of their fried insects. Many street vendors can be found peddling about looking for customers, with their variety of cooked bugs.
So, fret not. If you think insects are disgusting without ever trying one out, almost ¼ of the entire world disagrees.
In this article, we will cover several types of insects that you can find in the wild which are also fit for consumption. They can be cooked in a campfire for survival or even back at home too. Who knows, maybe you’ll even have a change of heart once you actually taste a couple of them?
1. Ants
Ants scurry around by the hundreds, and they can be found at almost any time of the day. Find a couple of ants, and you will likely find a line of them that leads you back to their colony.
You can try picking them manually one by one, but to make things easier, poke their nest with a stick and place the end of the stick in the opening. The ants will bite it. Remove the stick and place your newly collected ants on a container with water. Repeat until you have at least a hundred of them.
They are best eaten when boiled after at least 5 minutes, but you can eat them raw as well.
2. Scorpions
Scorpions are considered a delicacy in many parts of Southeast Asia. In survival situations, they are likely going to be your number one food to keep you alive in a hot and arid place like the desert.
They reside in dens. To catch one, you will need a weapon to kill one with and a small container like a jar to catch it. Dig a hole in front of the den and put the container in, then wait for the scorpion to walk out and fall in.
At this point, you can swoop in for the kill.
They are best cooked via roasting until browned. Oh, and make sure to cut off its stinger to ensure that you don’t get poisoned.
3. Grasshoppers
Like ants, grasshoppers are extremely common and can be found almost everywhere.
If you are aiming to catch one, the best time to do so would be early in the morning when they aren’t too active yet.
You may have sound hints as to the location of one by listening to their familiar chirping sound and following the noise.
Despite their speed, it is very much possible to catch them with your bare hands. Once you do though, make sure to place them in a container with a lid to ensure that they don’t get away!
Grasshoppers might also have parasites, so it is best to cook them first. You should also pull off their heads, wings, and legs too.
They can then be skewered and roasted over an open flame.
4. Larvae
Eww… Slimy and wriggly… But edible, nonetheless.
This encompasses most larvae, including grubs (the larval stages of beetles), and bee larvae.
Grubs are very common, and there are hundreds of species around the world. They can usually be found hiding inside rotting logs.
Once you have collected some, you can skewer and roast them over an open fire.
It is not recommended to hunt for bee larvae, as they can only be found in an active beehive, which means that you will likely get the attention of the hive defenders as an intruder and get swarmed.
If you decide to go at it anyway, they can be found inside the honeycombs of a hive. Smoke the bees out and take them swiftly but carefully. They can be cooked the same way as grubs.
5. Cockroach
I can already hear you grimacing but hear me out. Cockroaches are actually edible, and they are loaded with nutrients as well. Treat them like you would other insects, by cleaning it up thoroughly then roasting, boiling, or cooking it. Maybe it would be better if you closed your eyes before chomping on it…
Aside from your house and sewer systems, cockroaches tend to hide in trees and woodpiles. Some may prefer cold and dark areas. The Oriental Cockroach, for instance, loves hiding inside leaf piles and underneath rocks and stones.
6. Earthworms
They’ve certainly been digging down there. While technically not insects, their abundance in nature is a good enough reason to earn them a spot in this list.
Luckily for you, they’re not the same as those parasitic nuisances that lurk inside your body. Instead, earthworms consume dirt.
In an ironic twist, this means their bodies are likely to be covered with parasites. Boil them a couple of times to kill anything inside their digestive system.
You can usually find these worms when you flip over rocks or decaying leaves, but a sizable number of them will come out of the soil to party after a nice shower of rain.
Insects to be cautious of
There are some insects that, while edible, can be quite dangerous to your health. As such, it is better to ignore or avoid these insects unless you are absolutely desperate. There are likely better options out there.
1. Bees and Wasps
Bees and wasps are actually a delicacy and can be roasted to provide you much needed nutrition.
The problem is getting them and not getting stung in the process.
Of course, these insects prefer to stay ‘uneaten’ so they will lash out at you with their primary defense: Poisonous stingers
While not fatal in small dosages, bees can usually be found near a beehive, and if angered, the whole colony might see you as a threat and charge in with stingers raised.
Wasps, meanwhile, can sting you more than once, unlike bees. One is a nuisance, but two or more can prove dangerous. You’re better off staying away.
If you really must eat them, try plugging their hives and smoking it to kill everyone inside.
2. Snails and Slugs
A favorite in many a restaurant, but not so in the wild. Their flesh is edible (which is why you can eat them in restaurants in the first place), but the plants and mushrooms they have consumed in the wild might be poisonous.
This is not a problem for snails being served in restaurants as those snails are fed safe-to-eat plants, but you might want to pass on wild escargot until you get back to the city.
If there is no other food source available, you can feed snails and slugs non-poisonous plants for at least a week before cooking them.
3. Caterpillars and other fuzzy insects
Many caterpillars have bristles on their bodies, and for good reason: It deters predators from seeing them as an easy snack.
Some of them are venomous and can cause skin irritation when they come into contact with your skin.
While not all caterpillars with bristles are venomous, it may be better to avoid risking it if there are better options.
4. Brightly colored bugs in general
Much like the caterpillars mentioned above, many brightly colored bugs are poisonous. Some of them might look like the more edible insects from above, like grasshoppers. Steer clear from them.
5. Mosquitoes and Ticks
These insects carry some dangerous diseases, and it would be best to avoid them entirely.
Wrapping Up
Many of these insects can be found not only in the wild, but even in the plates of many diners. They seem like a foreign type of food, but they can, in fact, be delicious when cooked properly.
At the very least, maybe next time you won’t be disgusted when one of your friends pulls up that Facebook post of shrimps being like cockroaches.