Bug Eating for Survival - Could You Do It??

     Okay so let me start this off by saying I have yet to put any type of bug or insect into my mouth voluntarily... I do however think that if it came down to eating them or starving that I could do so. For that reason I decided to do a little research on them and this is the information I have found at another blog located here; Girl Meets Bug . There are literally tons of insects that are edible around us all the time... I have included a partial list below with some tips I found on each type of insect. I have also included two recipes at the bottom of the post on how to prepare them. If anyone has actually eaten any of these or others I would love to hear about your experiences with it. Also, if you know of some others to add to the list let us know in the comments.

Agave worm: Also known as the maguey worm, these larvae of either the Hypopta agavis moth or the Aegiale hesperiaris are sometimes included in tequila bottles as proof of authenticity and alcohol content (tequila must be of high enough proof to preserve the worm). In Mexico, they are also eaten as part of a meal, and are highly nutritious.

Ant: there are several varieties of ants that are eaten: Carpenter ants, leaf-cutter ants, honeypot ants, and even lemon ants.

Honeypot ants have abdomens swollen with a nectar-like substance, which is used to feed other ants, sort of like a “living larder.” An excellent “bush food,” they are dug up from the ground and eaten raw by  aboriginal peoples in Australia.

Leafcutter ants, also known as Hormigas Culonas in Spanish (which means big-butted ant) are eaten mainly in South America. They are  said to taste like a cross between bacon and pistachio, and are usually eaten toasted. In Colombia, they are sold like popcorn at movie theaters.

Lemon ants are found in the Amazon jungle and are said to taste like just that: lemons.

Bamboo  worm: Often eaten fried in Thailand, they are the larvae of the Grass Moth, and eat their way through bamboo before metamorphosing.

Bee: Bee larvae, especially, are prized in many cultures as tasty morsels. Think about it, all they eat is royal jelly, pollen, and honey! The larvae, when sauteed in butter, taste much like mushroomy bacon. Adult bees may also be eaten, often roasted (roast bee!) and then ground into a nutritious flour. In China, ground bees are used as a remedy for a sore throat.

Centipede: Most often found as a street food in China.

Cicada: Periodical cicadas, primarily found in the Eastern US,  live underground for 17 years before emerging and molting into adults. Just after they molt, they have soft, juicy bodies, and are said to be very tender and delicious. Different species of cicada are also eaten in many Asian countries, such as Japan, Thailand, and Malaysia.

Cockroach: Yes, you can eat cockroaches! Just not the ones you find around your house. Contrary to popular belief, cockroaches can actually be very clean and tasty insects, especially if they are fed on fresh fruits and vegetables. They can be eaten toasted, fried, sauteed, or boiled. Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches have a taste and texture like greasy chicken.

Cricket: eaten fried, sauteed, boiled, and roasted, these are amongst the most common insects eaten. Eaten in Mexico, Thailand, Cambodia.
 
Dragonfly: eaten in Indonesia and China. Can be eaten in adult or larval form. In Indonesia, these are caught by dipping a reed in sticky palm sap and waving it through the air. Often eaten boiled or fried.
 
Dung Beetle: despite the strange-sounding name, dung beetles, often eaten fried, are quite tasty.

Earthworm: known to be high in protein and iron, eaten by various peoples such as the native Yekuana of Venezuela.

Fly pupae: the fatty acid pattern of house fly pupae (Musca domestica L.) has been found to be similar to that of some fish oils. Shaped like small red pills, the “flavor is rich with a hint of iron, sort of like blood pudding,” says David Gracer of Small Stock Foods.

Flying Ant: Also known as Sompopos, the flying queens are collected in Guatemala and roasted on a comal with salt and lime juice. They are said to taste something like buttery pork rinds.

Grasshopper: in Mexico, these are eaten roasted with chile and lime, and are known as chapulines. They are high in protein and calcium.

Hornworm:  David George Gordon, author of The Eat-A-Bug Cookbook, says that Tomato Hornworms can be fried up much the same as the fruit of the plant on which they feed. They taste a bit like green tomatoes, shrimp, and crab.

Jumiles: also known as stink bugs. High in B vitamins, these are said to taste either bitter or like cinnamon, and may have tranquilizing and analgesic properties. Apparently, they can survive the cooking process, and thus are often eaten alive. The yearly Jumile Festival involves the eating of thousands of jumiles, and the crowning of a Jumile Queen.

June bug: June bugs (Phyllophaga) can be eaten at both the larval and adult stage. Native Americans roasted them over coals and ate them like popcorn.

Locust: the locust is one of the few insects condoned by the bible. Leviticus 11:22: Even these of them ye may eat: the locust after its kind, and the bald locust after its kind, and the cricket after its kind, and the grasshopper after its kind.

Mopane worm: largely eaten in Southern Africa, during their season, mopane worms can fetch a higher market price than beef. When dried, they are said to taste like  an earthy jerky.

Mealworm: Mealworms are found wherever there is, well, meal! They are the larva of the mealworm beetle. They are often prepared boiled, sauteed, roasted, or fried, and taste like a nutty shrimp.

Midge fly: in East Africa, these are pressed into solid blocks and cooked into Kunga Cake.

Nsenene: This tasty grasshopper is a Ugandan delicacy. Usually prepared fried.

Pill-bug: AKA sowbugs, roly-polies, woodlice, these are actually terrestrial crustaceans, closely related to lobsters, crab and shrimp. When boiled, they are said to turn red.

Rhino beetle and grubs: Also known as one of the strongest animals in the world, the Rhino beetle can lift 850 times its own weight. The beetle and its larvae are a common part of the diet in Nigeria. Studies have found the larvae to be very high in protein, calcium, and phosphorous. They can be fried, stewed, grilled or roasted; one cookbook advises cooking them within a coconut shell. The clarified fat of the larvae can also be used as a kind of butter.

Sago grubs: the larvae of the Palm Weevil.  Sago Delight, or fried Sago grubs,  is a specialty in Malaysia and Indonesia. In Borneo  and  Papua New Guinea, they are often cooked in Sago flour, and wrapped in a Sago leaf like a tamale. They are said to taste somewhat like bacon, and are an essential source of fat.

Silk worm: A popular dish in Korea, these are known as Bon Daegi, and are an edible byproduct of the silk-harvesting process.

Scorpion: Often found skewered and fried in Thailand and China. Scorpions tend to have a flavor like soft-shell crab.

Tarantula: Primarily popular as a food in Cambodia, tarantulas are high in protein, and are believed to help boost virility. They taste somewhat like an earthy crab.

Termite: Termites are often eaten raw straight out of the mound in places like Kenya.

Wasp: Wasps are eaten in both adult and larval stages. Boiled, sauteed, roasted and fried, they taste somewhat buttery and earthy.

Walking stick: Eaten in Asia and Papua New Guinea, Walking Sticks taste somewhat leafy.

Water Bug: AKA Toe-biter, the giant water bug is popular in Thai cuisine, both consumed whole (steamed or fried), and as an extract in sauces. Raw, the bugs have a scent like a green apple. Steamed, their flesh (plentiful enough to make small filets), tastes like a briny, per-fumy banana/melon, with the consistency of fish.

Wax-worm: The larvae of the wax moth, in the wild wax worms are a parasite of bee hives. In captivity, they are fed on a diet of bran and honey. Roasted or sauteed, they taste like a cross between a pine nut and an enoki mushroom, and are high in essential fatty acids.

Wichetty grub: Eaten by Aborigines in Australia, often roasted in coals or over a fire, wichetty grubs are high in protein and fat. According to Peter Menzel in Man Eating Bugs, “Witchetty grub tastes like nut-flavored scrambled eggs and mild mozzarella, wrapped in a phyllo dough pastry.”

Zaza-mushi: “Zaza-mushi — zaza, the sound of rushing river water, and mushi, insect — are the larvae of aquatic the caddisfly.” – Man Eating Bugs. Zaza-mushi are boiled then sauteed in soy sauce and sugar in Japan.


Basic Cooked Insects

Yield 1 serving; Time 30 minutes
 
Ingredients
    1 cup cleaned edible insects
    2 cups water
    1 teaspoon salt
    2 dashes pepper
    1 tablespoon butter
    1/2 teaspoon dried sage
    2 tablespoons finely chopped onions.
Method
    Place ingredients in a medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer for 30 minutes or until tender.
Source: Adapted from Entertaining With Insects by Ronald L. Taylor and Barbara J. Carter 

Dry Roasted Insects

Yield 1 serving; Time Two hours

Method
    Spread cleaned insects on paper towels on a cookie sheet. Back at 200 degrees for 60 to 90 minutes until desired state of dryness is reached. To check state of dryness, try crushing insect with a spoon.
Source: Adapted from Entertaining With Insects by Ronald L. Taylor and Barbara J. Carter

Herbs In Your Chicken Nests???

     Why yes it is a great idea. Fresh or dried herbs in your nesting boxes not only work as insecticides, but also have anti-bacterial properties, and can act as natural wormers, anti-parasitics, insecticides, rodent control, stress relievers and laying stimulants.  They will help a laying hen feel safe and relaxed while she is sitting, and calm a broody hen, as well as repel rodents, flies and other parasites. Plus they look so pretty !

      They will also benefit newly hatched chicks.  Research has shown that wild birds will line their nests with fresh herbs and flowers, especially those that contain essential oils. The newly hatched baby birds benefit by rubbing against these herbs in the first few days of life.  Same applies to baby chicks. The chicks will also eat some of the herbs, thereby garnering even more health benefits from them.

Here is a partial list of common herbs and flowers and their beneficial properties:

Basil - antibacterial, mucus membrane health
Catnip - sedative, insecticide
Cilantro - antioxidant, fungicide, builds strong bones, high in Vitamin A for vision and Vitamin K for blood clotting
Dill - antioxidant, relaxant, respiratory health
Fennel -laying stimulant
Garlic - laying stimulant
Lavender - stress reliever, increases blood circulation, highly aromatic, insecticide
Lemon Balm - stress reliever, antibacterial, highly aromatic, rodent repellent
Marigold - laying stimulant
Marjoram - lay stimulant
Mint (all kinds) - insecticide and rodent repellent
Nasturtium - laying stimulant, antiseptic, antibiotic, insecticide, wormer
Oregano - combats coccidia, salmonella, infectious bronchitis, avian flu, blackhead and e-coli
Parsley - high in vitamins, aids in blood vessel development, laying stimulant
Peppermint - anti-parasitic, insecticide
Pineapple Sage - aids nervous system, highly aromatic
Rose Petals - highly aromatic, high in Vitamin C
Rosemary - pain relief, respiratory health, insecticide
Sage - antioxidant, anti-parasitic
Spearmint - antiseptic, insecticide, stimulates nerve, brain and blood functions
Tarragon - antioxidant
Thyme - respiratory health, antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-parasitic
Read more: Grit Article on Herbs in Chicken Nests

Earthship Building Party

Okay so we have decided that in order to help raise the awareness in our local area about these wonderful homes and to help get the job done a little quicker we are going to be hosting an Earthship building party. This will be held on March 31, 2013 and start at 9:30 am. We are going to be treating this as a pot luck event so we ask that everyone coming either bring some kind of food or beverage (non alcoholic only please) and also if you can something off the supplies needed list. This will help with the completion of the home a little quicker. Of course you do not have to bring anything to attend, we would just like to make it easier on everyone by having food and drinks during the day.

Composting toilets & Humanure

     On the subject of our earthship house in the works, I have decided to write a little about composting toilets and the use of humanure.

     We are currently using a composting toilet at the cabin since there is no running water to it. Of course being on the frugal side our current composting toilet is a homemade one. I cannot see spending close to $1000 on a toilet of any kind especially one I can make myself for less than $20.

Seed Swapping, Saving, Stocking

      I was just wondering if there might be anyone out there that would be interested in swapping some seeds? I am trying to build up my supply as a prepping measure. I am going to list all the types I have on here. If you see something you would like let me know and I will let you know which varieties I have. We can work out something.
    

Herbal Remedies

     

 Okay so as part of my prepping I am trying to learn as much as possible about herbal and alternative medicine. I have been trying them out as necessary and feel very accomplished after the last week. My 10 year old daughter had a very nasty boil develop on her knee. It was very painful and didn't seem to want to come to a head or drain. I contemplated taking her to the hospital but then decided to try my hand at it first. So after some research and digging through my dried spices and herbs to see what I had on hand I made a rather thick poultice from Oregano, Garlic, and Thyme. All three of these have some antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. Well we packed this onto a piece of clean muslin and tied it on to her knee over the boil. We repeated the process twice, keeping it warm and moist with a heat pack that I made from a rice filled sock microwaved and then wet. Well after just about 36 hours of this it came to a huge head, we were able to open and drain it and in two days it was gone. Now the only trace of it left is the open hole in her knee that is closing up rather well and quickly. I was extremely impressed at how quickly this worked and how easy it was to do.

     So has anyone else out there tried their hand at herbal or alternative medicine? How has it gone? What experiences have you had from it? I would like any advice or comments.