Eating Bugs and other Creepy Crawlies

Guybrush · 02-04-2012, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Conan

Hmm, so your buddy would eat them alive? I don't know if I could do that if they could sting me. We have mostly black ants and of course, the invasive fire ant pests here in the U.S. South, both of which hurt like hell when stung. We also get carpenter ants which are quite large, but I've never tried eating them.

You don't know how lucky you are, tore, to not have fire ants where you live. You can't even have a picnic or lay in the grass in the state of Florida without being swarmed by the nasty little things.

He eats them alive, yeah. Most ants in Norway are not able to do you much damage. You notice a little pinch but the actual pain is usually pretty trivial. Here's a pic of me getting bitten by a worker "forest ant".

Way too small to hurt me as you can see. I don't believe these ants have a stinger, but are instead able to spray acid from their abdomen .. I'm not sure if that also goes for the sugar ants, but I can't remember them doing anything but nibbling.

We do have a few species of small, reddish ants which, despite being tiny, do seem to have a bit of a stinger .. If they sting you, it's a bit like getting stung by the bumble bees we have here. It'll hurt (you'll definetly feel it when it gets you) and may be irritated for a few hours after, but they're otherwise harmless. I guess they're a bit like your fire ants, but are fortunately quite rare. I can only remember getting stung once.

Howard the Duck · 02-04-2012, 10:19 AM

ant bites here are very mild

there are bigger red ants but when they bite you, you feel a prick which only lasts a few seconds of itchiness

you have to go really deep into the forest for malicious giant ants

FETCHER. · 02-04-2012, 10:29 AM

When I was really really little I dug out my back garden with a spoon and ate worms, that counts right

? I've never eaten any bugs since then but I've eaten some strange foods in Mexico and China, I'm not even sure what was in this 'taco' but it was dry white meat and it wasn't chicken, our friend Alberto said it was Iguana but I don't know if he was winding me up or not.

Guybrush · 02-04-2012, 10:34 AM

I've now ordered some cricket and scorpion lollies from a store on the net

Not my preferred way of trying bugs/arachnids, but at least it's something. Perhaps I can do a little review. I feel most brave about the crickets, but most curious about the scorpion.

My guess is they won't taste like much due to the sugar though, but hey. Maybe it'll break down some mental barriers if I have them

I wonder if it'll be hard.

~~someonecompletelyrandom~~ · 02-04-2012, 12:09 PM

Ah, let us know how those taste. You're right though, it'll probably taste like sugar.

Burning Down · 02-04-2012, 12:40 PM

Oh, I forgot. I actually did try deep-fried crickets once. They were okay. Tasted kind of grainy.

Guybrush · 02-04-2012, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Burning Down

Oh, I forgot. I actually did try deep-fried crickets once. They were okay. Tasted kind of grainy.

Grainy sounds more like a texture? Or do you mean that they had a sort of .. bread-y flavour?

Burning Down · 02-04-2012, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tore

Grainy sounds more like a texture? Or do you mean that they had a sort of .. bread-y flavour?

I was unclear. I meant that they tasted kind of like corn, or cornbread I guess. May have been due to the way they were prepared as well.

Neapolitan · 02-04-2012, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tore

I've now ordered some cricket and scorpion lollies from a store on the net

Not my preferred way of trying bugs/arachnids, but at least it's something. Perhaps I can do a little review. I feel most brave about the crickets, but most curious about the scorpion.

My guess is they won't taste like much due to the sugar though, but hey. Maybe it'll break down some mental barriers if I have them

I wonder if it'll be hard.

I know you are pretty enthused about eating bugs but maybe those barriers are there for a reason, don't you think? Why do most people have those barriers? Are people afraid to eat things like that because 1.) they are ugly and their innards are slimy & disgusting or 2.) they're not accustom to eating bugs or 3.) is it because like being a picky eat a survival trait? Ticks, Fleas and Mosquitoes (among other things) are known to carry pathogens which can be transferred to humans and animals when are bitten by one - is there any danger of getting sick from eating bugs or insects?

ThePhanastasio · 02-04-2012, 01:58 PM

When I was in high school, I had a science teacher who would get bug of the month club edible bugs, and allow whoever had the gonads to try. I consistently had said amount of gonads.

I got to try fried grasshopper (fantastic, but you could clearly see it was a grasshopper and the legs felt weird to chew), chocolate covered crickets (actually very good), cicada (pretty good), and scorpion (wasn't a fan; it felt REALLY weird in my mouth).

I probably wouldn't now...because I'm not sure if vegetarian diet extends to bugs...but it's really not as bad as it sounds. Once it's in your mouth, you're a'ight. My only complaints were textural.

02-04-2012, 10:34 AM	#24 (permalink)
Guybrush Juicious Maximus III Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Scabb Island Posts: 6,525	I've now ordered some cricket and scorpion lollies from a store on the net Not my preferred way of trying bugs/arachnids, but at least it's something. Perhaps I can do a little review. I feel most brave about the crickets, but most curious about the scorpion. My guess is they won't taste like much due to the sugar though, but hey. Maybe it'll break down some mental barriers if I have them I wonder if it'll be hard. __________________ Something Completely Different

02-04-2012, 01:58 PM	#30 (permalink)
ThePhanastasio Killed Laura Palmer Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Ashland, KY Posts: 1,679	When I was in high school, I had a science teacher who would get bug of the month club edible bugs, and allow whoever had the gonads to try. I consistently had said amount of gonads. I got to try fried grasshopper (fantastic, but you could clearly see it was a grasshopper and the legs felt weird to chew), chocolate covered crickets (actually very good), cicada (pretty good), and scorpion (wasn't a fan; it felt REALLY weird in my mouth). I probably wouldn't now...because I'm not sure if vegetarian diet extends to bugs...but it's really not as bad as it sounds. Once it's in your mouth, you're a'ight. My only complaints were textural. __________________ Phish: Studio Discography Reviewed 100 Albums I Heartily Recommend My last.fm It's a hand-me-down, the thoughts are broken Perhaps they're better left unsung

02-04-2012, 12:09 PM	#25 (permalink)
~~someonecompletelyrandom~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 4,538	Ah, let us know how those taste. You're right though, it'll probably taste like sugar.

02-04-2012, 12:40 PM	#26 (permalink)
Burning Down The Music Guru. Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Beyond the Wall Posts: 4,858	Oh, I forgot. I actually did try deep-fried crickets once. They were okay. Tasted kind of grainy.