Creepy crawlies are on the menu in Singapore! The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) approved 16 species of insects in different stages of growth for human consumption. These include crickets, grubs, moth larvae and one species of honeybee. In the adult stage are four crickets, two grasshoppers, a locust and a honeybee. In the larval stage, there are three kinds of mealworms, a white grub and, a giant rhino beetle grub, and two moth species. According to the guidelines, silkworm moths and silkworms (different stages of the same species) can be eaten.
Singaporean restaurants are already experimenting with bugs as food, garnishing sushi with silkworms and meatballs topped with worms.
But can entomophagy (the eating of insects) be the hero we need to save the world? The United Nations certainly thinks so. In 2013, the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) made a compelling case for bug consumption to combat food insecurity. They also highlighted the role of entomophagy in promoting sustainable farming practices. “Insects feed on bio-waste, use significantly less water than livestock, and can be farmed more easily,” they said.
And while it may seem unappealing to some, bug consumption is a longstanding tradition in many cultures. For instance, here in Mzansi, Mopane worms, which are caterpillars, are a delicacy that provides abundant, affordable, and nutritious protein for many in Limpopo. Edible stinkbugs have been a staple in the diets of people in South Africa, Malawi, and Zimbabwe for generations. In South Africa, they are a delicacy for Limpopo’s Venda people and Mpumalanga’s Mapulana people, serving as an essential source of protein, vitamins, and micro-elements.
Of course, like anything else in the world, politics have entered the fray. The Dutch, Polish, Italian, and even American far-right have objected to bug eating, spreading misinformation that they attribute to the World Economic Forum and mysterious “global elites” who will force the general populace to eat bugs. In Italy, a member of Italy’s ruling far-right Brothers of Italy party described bug eating as “bordering on madness.“
So, would you munch down on a mopane worm or have a mealworm pancake? Let us know!
