46 Insects for Dinner

Most Americans seem to crave variety in their diets, judging by the popularity of foreign restaurants. But Hungarian goulash, or even Japanese sushi, very few would want to indulge in a real kind of food that is popular in many countries: insects.

Eating insects actually is not a bother—there are certainly enough of them around, and though most are small, they are very nutritious. They are low in fat, live in dense groups that can be easily harvested, and contain a fair amount of salt.

Indeed, in those countries where insects are eaten, they are already well seasoned delicacies. The goliath beetle is a prize catch in Africa; they are usually considered great delicacies. Grasshoppers are a popular dish in Mexico, where they are fried and served under the name of “gusanos;” and chocolate-covered bees and ants are favorite candies in Switzerland.

It is unlikely that canned grasshoppers will become popular in America in the near future, but who knows? Perhaps in years to come people will rid themselves of their prejudice against insects and will find themselves going out to dig for grubs as eagerly as others now go out to gather mushrooms.

46 昆虫大餐

从外国餐厅的受欢迎程度来看，大多数美国人似乎渴望饮食的多样性。但就算是匈牙利炖牛肉，甚至日式寿司，也很少有人愿意尝试一种在许多国家流行的食物：昆虫。

吃昆虫其实并不麻烦——周围确实有很多昆虫，而且尽管大多数昆虫很小，它们却非常有营养。它们脂肪含量低，生活在密集的群体中容易收获，还含有相当多的盐分。

事实上，在那些食用昆虫的国家，昆虫已经是调味精良的美食。歌利亚甲虫在非洲是珍贵的捕获物，通常被视为顶级美味；蚱蜢在墨西哥是受欢迎的菜肴，被油炸后以“gusanos”的名字供应；而裹着巧克力的蜜蜂和蚂蚁是瑞士人喜爱的糖果。

罐装蚱蜢在不久的将来不太可能在美国流行，但谁知道呢？也许在未来几年，人们会摆脱对昆虫的偏见，会像现在其他人热衷于采蘑菇一样，急切地出门挖幼虫来吃。