Insects Promoted As Protein Source For Thais

[hellodolly]

We in the west have some unusual eating habits,too. In London one lonely,old spinster complained to a food company that there were too many "F" s in her Alphabet soup.

I was wondering where my f's had gone.

[happynthailand]

when the termites sworm,here in mukdahan,at night under the street lights/or any light

people are out with broom and dust pan sweeping them up and putting them in plastic buckets

one lady told me that on a good sworm(night) she can almost fill 2 5 gallon buckets

[PooMik]

As a protein, i would eat all the long beans, before i eat this!

[brain150]

Animal protein is the MAJOR cause of all heart deseases and most cancers !

I would advise anybody to watch "Fork over knives" and then rethink the whole story.

In my opinion telling people to eat something that increases the risk of getting sick is a crime !!!

[even though the food industry does not want us to know anything about this !!!]

[Thaddeus]

Animal protein is the MAJOR cause of all heart deseases and most cancers

Protein is necessary for correct brain development amongst other nutrients, one of the most important steps in the evolution of man was the discovery of fire, cooking meat meant that more protein could be ingested.

This is why you can now gripe on a keyboard, and then go hug a tree.

[rotorbreeze]

My girlfriend brought a batch down to Singapore in a her luggage a couple of weeks back. Said they cost 300 baht for one kilo. Even after cooking, some of the buggers were still alive. Tasted great though, Like 'em in soup also....

Nice, I had spend 4 yrs in Issan and had the same experience, the high light of the harvest was to get the Queen Ant alive and eat it! My X wife I have a picture of her mouth open and tongue showing a Queen Ant ready to be chewed and swallowed...great picture..will see if I can find it...yes the mystery of the insect world..we should learn not only the value of eating them but the social values they have...well enough gettng the ant itch now..talk more Ron

[brain150]

Animal protein is the MAJOR cause of all heart deseases and most cancers

Protein is necessary for correct brain development amongst other nutrients, one of the most important steps in the evolution of man was the discovery of fire, cooking meat meant that more protein could be ingested.

This is why you can now gripe on a keyboard, and then go hug a tree.

Protein is fine ! ANIMAL protein is the problem !!!

... without trees there is no oxygen. Might be a good idea to care about trees a bit more.

[Thaddeus]

... without trees there is no oxygen. Might be a good idea to care about trees a bit more.

Really, around 50% of our oxygen is released by tiny ocean plants called phytoplankton, bit too small to carve your name on though. Trees do play a very important part, but nature abhors a vacuum in the end, so the eco-system would eventually settle itself out if either we or trees were eradicated.

I still stand by the fact that without protein from meat, neither you or I would be having this discussion right now.

[rubl]

With all Thai rich, on decent wages, etc., etc. why is there this government emphasize on 'insects' to get enough 'protein' ?

[Thaddeus]

With all Thai rich, on decent wages, etc., etc. why is there this government emphasize on 'insects' to get enough 'protein' ?

If that was a Who Wants To Be A Millionaire question, it would be a toss up between "A: Deflection" and "D: Deflection"

And I wouldn't need to Skype a friend.

[Joe Mamma]

Being a bug eating normal guy. I like the various crawling and wiggling goodies served here. In fact, each region has it's own specialties and ways of preparing them.

I stopped eating the toads,snakes,lizards and bats and monkey and dog,cat,rat,etc. But them insectoids are fair game!

[Joe Mamma]

Eat sand and shit a brick!

[NeverSure]

Relax. This is just the government setting the people up to believe that moldy rice is ant eggs.

[Docno]

Animal protein is the MAJOR cause of all heart deseases and most cancers

Protein is necessary for correct brain development amongst other nutrients, one of the most important steps in the evolution of man was the discovery of fire, cooking meat meant that more protein could be ingested.

This is why you can now gripe on a keyboard, and then go hug a tree.

Protein is fine ! ANIMAL protein is the problem !!!

... without trees there is no oxygen. Might be a good idea to care about trees a bit more.

I don't want to put the effort into turning plant protein into animal protein myself. I'd rather take a shortcut and let another another animal do the work for me. Vegetables are just too much work...

[wilcopops]

Something for nothing? I think not.

It may have escaped their attention but ants eggs are SMALLER than chicken eggs.

That aside the eating of insects has long been a protein supplement for hard pressed farmers in the poorer areas of Thailand and in fact all over the world....so nothing new.

There are however some inherent problems; There is no such thing as a "free lunch" - insects represent a huge biomass and a significant and crucial part of the bio-system. To make a sudden a massive indent on this could have major world-wide ecological implications.

At preset most insects are take from the wild and in Thailand, due to over consumption there is already concern about some of the insects eaten, notably the large water beetles that are so ubiquitous of rot ken around the cities of Thailand.

There is also concern about hygiene as the insects are captured in the paddy fields and then transported haphazardly to the cities for consumption. Just like any food-stuffs they are susceptible to infestation by bacteria.

The answer is probaly farming....on a major scale, as far as I'm aware this is an industry in its infancy and I doubt very much if there is any mechanism for regulating their practices. Apart from food hygiene, unexpected releases of various bugs into the environment can only be detrimental.

In short, it seems to me that there is a long way to go before insects become a major pat of our diet and politicians in Thailand seem to be as usual jumping on a bandwagon and making statements on things they know very little about and have though about even less.

Edited May 16, 2013 by wilcopops

[wilcopops]

Animal protein is the MAJOR cause of all heart deseases and most cancers

Protein is necessary for correct brain development amongst other nutrients, one of the most important steps in the evolution of man was the discovery of fire, cooking meat meant that more protein could be ingested.

This is why you can now gripe on a keyboard, and then go hug a tree.

Protein is fine ! ANIMAL protein is the problem !!!

... without trees there is no oxygen. Might be a good idea to care about trees a bit more.

I don't want to put the effort into turning plant protein into animal protein myself. I'd rather take a shortcut and let another another animal do the work for me. Vegetables are just too much work...

Acre for acre beans produce far higher amounts of protein than cattle

[NeverSure]

Protein is fine ! ANIMAL protein is the problem !!!

... without trees there is no oxygen. Might be a good idea to care about trees a bit more.

I don't want to put the effort into turning plant protein into animal protein myself. I'd rather take a shortcut and let another another animal do the work for me. Vegetables are just too much work...

Acre for acre beans produce far higher amounts of protein than cattle

"Acre for acre beans produce far higher amounts of protein flatulation than cattle."

How true!!

Edited May 16, 2013 by NeverSure

[wilcopops]

... without trees there is no oxygen. Might be a good idea to care about trees a bit more.

Really, around 50% of our oxygen is released by tiny ocean plants called phytoplankton, bit too small to carve your name on though. Trees do play a very important part, but nature abhors a vacuum in the end, so the eco-system would eventually settle itself out if either we or trees were eradicated.

I still stand by the fact that without protein from meat, neither you or I would be having this discussion right now.

Sorry but this is nonsense.

Both "eco-system would eventually settle itself" and "without protein from meat, neither you or I would be having this discussion right now."

firstly WHAT kind of ecosystem do you think it would be - if you think that rainforest etc will"just grow back" then you are mistaken.

As for meat - humans are by nature OMNIVOROUS and many millions are vegetarian........meat is not the sole source of protein available nor has it ever been....in fact the change from hunter gatherer to grain farming (i.e. away from meat diet) was a crucial part in the development of human social nature.

Edited May 16, 2013 by wilcopops

[wilcopops]

Protein is fine ! ANIMAL protein is the problem !!!

... without trees there is no oxygen. Might be a good idea to care about trees a bit more.

I don't want to put the effort into turning plant protein into animal protein myself. I'd rather take a shortcut and let another another animal do the work for me. Vegetables are just too much work...

Acre for acre beans produce far higher amounts of protein than cattle

"Acre for acre beans produce far higher amounts of protein flatulation than cattle."

How true!!

THis is probably a great example of how profoundly ignorant some people are on the effects of cattle farming. Cattle are one of the planets MAJOR contributors to global warming - greenhouse gasses - yes - cattle flatulence - NOT human flatulence is a REAL environmental problem.

please do your research

Edited May 16, 2013 by wilcopops

[belg]

rats also, largly available and free

[NeverSure]

... without trees there is no oxygen. Might be a good idea to care about trees a bit more.

Really, around 50% of our oxygen is released by tiny ocean plants called phytoplankton, bit too small to carve your name on though. Trees do play a very important part, but nature abhors a vacuum in the end, so the eco-system would eventually settle itself out if either we or trees were eradicated.

I still stand by the fact that without protein from meat, neither you or I would be having this discussion right now.

Sorry but this is nonsense.

Both "eco-system would eventually settle itself" and "without protein from meat, neither you or I would be having this discussion right now."

firstly WHAT kind of ecosystem do you think it would be - if you think that rainforest etc will"just grow back" then you are mistaken.

As for meat - humans are by nature OMNIVOROUS and many millions are vegetarian........meat is not the sole source of protein available nor has it ever been....in fact the change from hunter gatherer to grain farming (i.e. away from meat diet) was a crucial part in the development of human social nature.

"meat is not the sole source of protein available nor has it ever been....in fact the change from hunter gatherer to grain farming (i.e. away from meat diet) was a crucial part in the development of human social nature."

Were you there?

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

Lots of contributions to climate change.

How about methane from rice fields? Google that.

Why does the land need to be cleared and plowed to grow rice? Doesn't that kill and or disturb everything living in the soil?

Couldn't there just be nature evolved grass eaters consuming an almost limitless supple of grass?

Grass doesn't need to be seeded, irrigated, plowed, fertilized, plowed again or straw burned to recoup nitrogen.

I see Thai people attacking grass with weed whackers and machetes. Get some goats, sheep and cows. The soil stays undisturbed and the soil biome and nitrogen cycle undamaged. No need to cut down trees. Grass grows everywhere.

The poop from animals keep the soil rich.

It's the system nature designed. Look at North America and Africa before agriculture. Huge herds of grass eaters.

In North America there were 30 to 60 million Bison. That's more meat than is being raised today.

It's just too bad Bison are so dangerous to be around. Good eating though.

[Thaddeus]

.in fact the change from hunter gatherer to grain farming (i.e. away from meat diet) was a crucial part in the development of human social nature.

But without eating cooked meat, humankind would never have developed the intellect to do that, hence my assertion.

BTW, rain forests http://www.nbcnews.com/id/13957717#.UZRfkKIwqDg

BTW2, cows http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2012/01/much-ado-about-methane/

[NeverSure]

Lots of contributions to climate change.

How about methane from rice fields? Google that.

Why does the land need to be cleared and plowed to grow rice? Doesn't that kill and or disturb everything living in the soil?

Couldn't there just be nature evolved grass eaters consuming an almost limitless supple of grass?

Grass doesn't need to be seeded, irrigated, plowed, fertilized, plowed again or straw burned to recoup nitrogen.

I see Thai people attacking grass with weed whackers and machetes. Get some goats, sheep and cows. The soil stays undisturbed and the soil biome and nitrogen cycle undamaged. No need to cut down trees. Grass grows everywhere.

The poop from animals keep the soil rich.

It's the system nature designed. Look at North America and Africa before agriculture. Huge herds of grass eaters.

In North America there were 30 to 60 million Bison. That's more meat than is being raised today.

It's just too bad Bison are so dangerous to be around. Good eating though.

Before a large population of man took over N. America, lightning strikes would start grass and forest fires and they would burn until the Fall rains came. That's how nature cleaned, fertilized and renewed the land.

When the wagon trains came over the Oregon Trail, they crossed the Blue Mountains in Oregon by just walking/driving through the trees. Lightning again started fires that would burn all of the undergrowth, clean and fertilize, let light in, and renew the forest floor with grass and wildflowers and such.

Today, with man suppressing fire, you can't walk through the thick tall choking underbrush on the Blue Mountains. But if there was a fire it would now burn too hot from all of that woody brush fuel, and kill the big trees. The heat would reach and ignite the crowns of the trees. Before, when cleaned regularly, the fire would just be a grass fire and no harm would come to the big trees.

Fire is a big, big part of nature's plan for maintaining the land.

When Mount St. Helens' volcano in Washington State blew, and when the huge forest fire went through Yellowstone National Park, people were devastated until they saw how it benefited the land. Scientist were amazed that the next year there were wild flowers, grass and new trees sprouting all over the wreckage of St. Helens, and the ash that blew to the East into the farm land improved the crops. At first it was thought that the ash was devastating. It was a mess for people at first. Yellowstone was the same, and now the official policy for Yellowstone is to let any fire burn itself out. So we keep learning.

[wilcopops]

.in fact the change from hunter gatherer to grain farming (i.e. away from meat diet) was a crucial part in the development of human social nature.

But without eating cooked meat, humankind would never have developed the intellect to do that, hence my assertion.

BTW, rain forests http://www.nbcnews.com/id/13957717#.UZRfkKIwqDg

BTW2, cows http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2012/01/much-ado-about-methane/

"Without eating cooked meat humankind would never have developed the intellect'

Where on earth do you get your ideas from???? I think you really need to brush up on the chronology of the evolution of homo sapiens.

Edited May 16, 2013 by wilcopops

[wilcopops]

Some might want to consider the effects of meat-eating on their own intellect and the obvious lack of effect it can have......

Edited May 16, 2013 by wilcopops

[wilcopops]

rats also, largly available and free

Many cultures eat rodents, but it is where they come from that is important... In Thailand many will eat noo-na farm rats - but they wouldn't dream of eating a town rat any more than I would eat a London pigeon.

[MAJIC]

Promoting eating insects by the Government,perhaps someone should tell them they have been eating them for umpteen decades, and more!

Talk about being out of touch with the people.............

[Thaddeus]

Some might want to consider the effects of meat-eating on their own intellect and the obvious lack of effect it can have......

And some who don't eat meat may want to consider their methane output.

[wilcopops]

So I take it you know nothing about how and why humans are social animals or you wouldn't have made a fatuous remark like the one above.

... without trees there is no oxygen. Might be a good idea to care about trees a bit more.

Really, around 50% of our oxygen is released by tiny ocean plants called phytoplankton, bit too small to carve your name on though. Trees do play a very important part, but nature abhors a vacuum in the end, so the eco-system would eventually settle itself out if either we or trees were eradicated.

I still stand by the fact that without protein from meat, neither you or I would be having this discussion right now.

Sorry but this is nonsense.

Both "eco-system would eventually settle itself" and "without protein from meat, neither you or I would be having this discussion right now."

firstly WHAT kind of ecosystem do you think it would be - if you think that rainforest etc will"just grow back" then you are mistaken.

As for meat - humans are by nature OMNIVOROUS and many millions are vegetarian........meat is not the sole source of protein available nor has it ever been....in fact the change from hunter gatherer to grain farming (i.e. away from meat diet) was a crucial part in the development of human social nature.

"meat is not the sole source of protein available nor has it ever been....in fact the change from hunter gatherer to grain farming (i.e. away from meat diet) was a crucial part in the development of human social nature."

Were you there?