- cross-posted to:
- worldnews@lemmy.ml
- cross-posted to:
- worldnews@lemmy.ml
Starvation-threatened Africans are being encouraged to eat insects by a UK aid initiative.
African caterpillars, migratory locusts and black soldier flies are on the menu under the initiative taking place in Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo - but locals are rejecting the offer due to the taste and cultural norms.
Dr Alberto Fiore, the project lead who has whipped up a dish of locally farmed mopane worms, cereals, and fruits, has also created a insect-based porridge containing grains including sorghum and millets, which he reassured the Guardian is palatable.
There’s like 5.5 million insect species out there… how could you possibly make such a generalization? The practice of eating insects is called “entomophagy” and many cultures across the world happily eat insects. Tarantulas (tho not technically insects), pupae of certain species, beetle grubs, etc are all considered delicacies in many parts of the world. Lets not forget that it wasn’t too long ago that lobsters or escargo were both considered poor people food that were only eaten out of necessity.
In fact, most cultures of the world eat insects. It’s a pretty uniquely western thing to be snobby against this food source. Even today, 80% of countries common eat insects.
I don’t at all disagree with the spirit of this post. But y’all need to get out of your western bubble and stop universalizing how grossed out you are by the idea of this “poor person food”
I’ve never eaten a bug so can’t say. Probably wouldn’t be terrible if prepared well. Rich people eat maggots. They also eat eggs before they’ve become eggs. I’m pretty grossed out by that. Some people hate brocolli. I don’t know how much taste in food derives from class prejudice. Though its difficult to defend an absolutist point of view you seemed to have taken offense to and I don’t want to anyway. Other people do things in their own way.
I just want to add to what you’re saying that no one here is grossed out by other people eating bugs. The western elitest bubble that think they know best is trying to tell Africans to eat bugs. If they wanted to eat the bugs they would have already been eating the bugs and no one here would have a problem with it.
The arguments the Western elitest bubble are using while trying to teach the Africans what’s best for them are essentially the same as the arguments you’re making above.
We are in agreement on this point and I’ve never tried to argue against it. The only problem I have with this comment section and the whole framing of this thread is the framing of entomophagy as something “yucky and gross”. In Thailand, people prepare and eat cockroaches. There was at least one comment in this thread presenting the very idea of eating cockroaches as a self-explanatory insult. Which, to me, is the real “yucky and gross” thing
It’s not actually a such a bad argument you’re making. But it’s very hard to take seriously when you include little bits of hypocrisy.
fair enough