The next time you go looking for grub, you may be chowing down on actual grubs. i09 writes about a new study from Dutch researchers at Wageningen University who believe that in order to lessen our impact on the planet, we should seriously think about eating insects.
In their search for a sustainable protein, the scientists found that substituting insects for livestock could lead to a decline in the production of greenhouse gases. Insects are able to more efficiently convert food material into mass, meaning you get more insect meat for your energy buck. Whether more insect meat is a good thing, I'll leave to your taste buds.
There's a rich history of insect eating. Aristotle was partial to cicadas, and Pliny the Elder had a great recipe for beetle larvae. But while insect dishes are prepared in Asia, Australia and South America, the United States hasn't caught the bug, so to speak.
"We became invested in livestock, and bugs became the enemy," David George Gordon, author of The Eat-a-Bug Cookbook, told National Geographic back in 2004.
Well, bugs may finally be winning the war. I'm not aware of any place in town that serves insects. Sheridan's has Grant's Grasshopper on the menu, but the most exotic ingredient in the cup of custard is Oreos. Anybody know a good spot to get fried crickets these days?
[Image via Flickr: mackaysavage]
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