Δαφνη Ευτυχια Αρθουρος

"Part of the problem, Durst believes, is that modern Westerners tend to view insects and arachnids as a famine food, something consumed only by the poorest peoples and during the leanest of times. And it's true that there are some miraculous stories of non-crustacean arthropods saving humans from famine. In the 1970s, for example, many Cambodians survived the famines brought on by the rise of the Khmer Rouge because wild tarantulas were readily available. (Fried tarantula is still considered a delicacy in Cambodia.) But bugs are far more than a famine food; on the contrary, certain insects are among the most desired foods in Thai and other insect-eating cultures. Just as folks in Louisiana look forward to crawfish season and folks in the Pacific northwest delight in Dungeness crab season, so do folks in Thailand feel an eager flutter in their stomachs when weaver ant season begins. Durst notes that when he goes to the supermarket, he sees insects selling for more per pound than chicken or pork. These aren't foods of desperation; they're foods of desire.

"But it isn't easy, in the United States at least, to develop a taste for bugs. I was surprised that, in such a foodie region as the Bay Area, it's still difficult to find a spot that will serve up insects. Martin explained that the lack of food regulations surrounding bugs makes it tricky for restaurants to serve them. Occasionally, a restaurant will put a buggy item on the menu, only to have the local health department step in with a wagging finger. Certainly there are restaurants and catering companies that will build you a grasshopper taco, top your ice cream with mealworms, and host a cicada boil. But without clear government health and safety standards, many of these dishes exist at the whim of the local health department."

-- Lauren Davis, 2013-05-26