Thailand is now the largest producer or edible insects

[Lite Beer]

Thailand is now the largest producer or edible insects

BANGKOK: -- As the world discovers the culinary secrets that countries like Africa, Asia and Latin America have long known Thailand’s edible insects farming industry is taking off like never before.

As the world wakes up to insects that are very nutritious and can be very tasty growth in this market has become rapid. Thailand now has 20,000 insect farms that produce 7,500 tons of edible insects such as crickets and grasshoppers each year.

Comparatively, against other food stuffs, insects are pretty easy to produce and they are kind to the environment. It takes only two pounds of feed and one gallon of water to produce a pound of crickets which compared to the twenty five pounds of feed and two thousand nine hundred gallons of water you need beef, makes insects a great low impact alternative protein.

As well as the financial benefits there are health benefits too, crickets contain 12.9 grams of protein per 100 grams which is around half the protein contained in foodstuffs such as beef and chicken. Giant water beetles go one step further with 19.8 grams of protein per 100 grams and caterpillars have 28.2 grams of protein per 100 grams which is more than beef and chicken and as much as some fish.

Crickets have found their way to the US where cricket protein bars can be purchase as well as cricket flour that can be used for baking, and if the trend to use insects continues then Thailand could be sitting on an industry that could really take off!

-- Samui Times 2014-09-27

[Costas2008]

Yumeeeeee, Thailand the hub of edible insects.

I do like some of them.................

[Obb]

Chemicals used?

[jaltsc]

"It takes only two pounds of feed and one gallon of water to produce a pound of crickets."

I actually enjoyed eating fried silk worms and grasshoppers, until I read an article that pointed out that the insects on the market are the ones who were able to survive all the chemicals sprayed on plants and they contain a very high level of toxins. "Would you prefer a side order of DDT or Round Up with your meal?"

[ChrisY1]

A definate boost to the countries GDP........well done insect breeders!

[JeremyBowskill]

This is great news!!! moving on........

[halloween]

I suppose it depends on your definition of edible.

"Well, you can live on it, but it taste like shit." Crocodile Dundee

[marcusd]

Yes I have seen insect bars everywhere I go. Geez these people writing this drivel must be escapees from the asylum

[Bluespunk]

"Crickets have found their way to the US where cricket protein bars can be purchase as well as cricket flour that can be used for baking, and if the trend to use insects continues then Thailand could be sitting on an industry that could really take off!"

Or not.

[Triplebank999]

"It takes only two pounds of feed and one gallon of water to produce a pound of crickets."

I actually enjoyed eating fried silk worms and grasshoppers, until I read an article that pointed out that the insects on the market are the ones who were able to survive all the chemicals sprayed on plants and they contain a very high level of toxins. "Would you prefer a side order of DDT or Round Up with your meal?"

Or instead of blindly believing a myth you could more rationally consider that those on sale in quantity, which are the ones most people consume, are produced commercially. They are not the minute proportion of survivors of sprayed crops collected in the fields.

In 1995, as a ratifier to the Stockhom Convention, Thailand prohibited the production, import, export and possession of DDT.

Edited September 27, 2014 by Triplebank999

[jaltsc]

"It takes only two pounds of feed and one gallon of water to produce a pound of crickets."

I actually enjoyed eating fried silk worms and grasshoppers, until I read an article that pointed out that the insects on the market are the ones who were able to survive all the chemicals sprayed on plants and they contain a very high level of toxins. "Would you prefer a side order of DDT or Round Up with your meal?"

Or instead of blindly believing a myth you could more rationally consider that those on sale in quantity, which are the ones most people consume, are produced commercially. They are not the minute proportion of survivors of sprayed crops collected in the fields.

In 1995, as a ratifier to the Stockhom Convention, Thailand prohibited the production, import, export and possession of DDT.

Although the article was in a scientific agricultural journal, I'd sooner believe a myth than a "ratifier" that constantly claimed they had prohibited slave labor on their nation's fishing vessels. And one must also research the origin and methods of the growing of the feed used to raise the insects. I doubt they feed their insects safer food than they feed the human populace.

Edited September 27, 2014 by jaltsc

[mrtoad]

Bug Hub

[ratcatcher]

"Crickets have found their way to the US where cricket protein bars can be purchase as well as cricket flour that can be used for baking, and if the trend to use insects continues then Thailand could be sitting on an industry that could really take off!"

Cricket has long been popular in the more civilized countries in the world after being discovered by the British over 400 years ago. It is best eaten slowly and goes well with a beer or a gin and tonic.

Several dishes have become very popular. Cricket balls, made by grinding them up into a paste and then deep frying are popular in the West Indies as well as the much larger version, the Cricket Bat, which the Australians insist, when barbecued, is the best way to enjoy cricket. The Indians prefer their cricket curried with basmati on the side. Thailand is well on the way to catching up with more advanced nations like Zimbabwe and one can look forward to new exciting dishes such as Kow Pat Cricket, Deep fried Chili Cricket balls and Phad Krapow Yourout!

[slipperylobster]

They can have all the ones I sprayed, in my house.

[klauskunkel]

so how do they kill the insects? An individual knock on the head for each one, or a labor saving and delicious cloud of DDT?

[ldnguy]

I suppose it depends on your definition of edible.

"Well, you can live on it, but it taste like shit." Crocodile Dundee

They can be powdered and the taste disguised. You don't have to eat the whole.

[halloween]

I suppose it depends on your definition of edible.

"Well, you can live on it, but it taste like shit." Crocodile Dundee

They can be powdered and the taste disguised. You don't have to eat the whole.

I remove the alimentary canal from larger prawns, but digging out a cricket's anus seems a bit fiddly. Perhaps a nice maggot pate?

[amse]

Sorry, but Yuck! Want all your necessary vitamins and minerals take moringa leaf powder instead.

[clockman]

With a side dish, of Monsanto poison!

[soalbundy]

Chemicals used?

only when they kill them but its environment friendly because you eat the chemicals

[SinCityGr8One]

Headline:Thailand is now the largest producer or edible insects

Some body wake up that proof reader before publication, please. or? How about...of? Thank You!

[soalbundy]

The inedible, collected by the unspeakable for the credible

[wilgoster]

Who are the "unspeakable"?

[ratcatcher]

Who are the "unspeakable"?

A caste slightly higher than the unmentionables and far superior to the untouchables.

[dcutman]

How incredibly exciting for Thailand to have this honor.

BTW anybody know, what is the percentage of the world population that eats bugs?

This could be the answer for the failing Thai rice industry.

Just eat bugs!!!!

Edited September 27, 2014 by dcutman

[sawadee1947]

"It takes only two pounds of feed and one gallon of water to produce a pound of crickets."

I actually enjoyed eating fried silk worms and grasshoppers, until I read an article that pointed out that the insects on the market are the ones who were able to survive all the chemicals sprayed on plants and they contain a very high level of toxins. "Would you prefer a side order of DDT or Round Up with your meal?"

unless you take everything out of your own garden. Otherwiese you buy on the market contaminated veggies. I do hope that my carrots from Australia at Tesco are pesticide free....

[MikePhuket1970]

Wow,another epic high score after largest producer or

-Lies

-Corruption

-Ghoststories

Congrats !

[soalbundy]

Who are the "unspeakable"?

It was a take on Oscar Wilde's comment on fox hunting, ''The unspeakable chasing the uneatable'' i just knew that some hysteria prone PC person would get his knickers in a twist, but as i have said before, i don't do PC i leave that to the perfectly cut,trimmed stamped and moulded.

Edited September 27, 2014 by soalbundy

[attrayant]

so how do they kill the insects?

By chewing on them.

[soalbundy]

Bugs are what food eats