At this point, everybody must be aware that eating insects is the new “cool”. Most of the world’s population has eaten insects before, but for Americans, as well as most of the western world, eating bugs is still disgusting and unthinkable. Then again, some experts believe that we, as a population, will all eventually be forced to eat insects in order to continue thriving. If you listen to regular insect-eaters, there are not many insects that can beat the taste of termites. The opinion about which termites taste best, however, differs from country to country.
Different countries are home to different termites, naturally this will have an effect on which types of termites are preferred by which countrys’ citizens. However, geographical factors do not solely dictate which countrys’ citizens eat which termites. For example, studies show that people living in Africa and South America eat the greatest number of different termite species. Asia, on the other hand, is also home to an abundance of people who eat termites regularly, but Asians tend not to eat as many different species when compared to other nations. One of the most popular termite-snacks in Africa is known as Macrotermes bellicosus. This species is consumed in the Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Angola, Zambia, Kenya, Guinea, Senegal, Tanzania, and Uganda. However, another termite species known as Macrotermes herus is only eaten by people living in Tanzania. This is in spite of the fact that these termites are also available for consumption in the majority of other African countries.
You already know that much of the world’s population consumes termites regularly, but you would not believe how many termites are actually consumed. In fact, termites are the second most consumed insects of all insects, just behind grasshoppers. According to one study, there are currently forty five different termite species consumed around the world. In some countries, termites are even used as livestock feed.
As long as termites are being eaten by certain people, then they may as well be eating the ones that cause damage to peoples’ homes, right? If you hate the idea of eating termites, then maybe sustaining termite damage to your home would change your mind, as eating them may fulfill a need for vengeance. Well, in China, many people prefer to eat Formosan termites, which are destructive termite pests in America. In fact, these termites are invasive to the USA, and they are believed to have arrived in America along with military transports from China after world war two.
If you had to eat termites, which country would you choose to eat them in?