People react differently when they see bugs and other creepy crawlies, right? Discomfort…disgust…horror…hunger…wait. What? HUNGER??? That’s right, friends and neighbors from Massachusetts.
I don’t know if it’s a fad or a sign of life here in the 2020s, but more people are interested in edible bugs these days and I don’t get it. Yuck. Sure, I remember seeing those packages of Larvets worm snacks in mail order catalogs as a kid, but again, YUCK.
I think I even kind of understand the custom of eating the worm at the bottom of a mezcal bottle. I mean, you’re drunk when you get to the worm, so you don’t even taste it, right? No, not for me, thanks.
The big question is: could YOU eat to your heart’s content if you were served a plateful of insects? Me neither. I guess one shouldn’t judge it before one has tried it. But that doesn’t make the thought of gobbling down a few insects any more unbearable. Grilling easier.
LawnStarter recently conducted a survey looking at the states with the best selection of edible insects and wildlife, and incredibly (at least Me), Massachusetts is one of the TOP STATES to eat bugs!!
But there is a method behind this madness. several Methods, actually. The biggest benefit of eating insects is the health factor. It turns out that eating insects is very nutritious. They are rich in copper, iron, magnesium and zinc.
They also have a high protein content. Additionally, insects are cheap and an easy-to-produce source of nutrients. Insects also require less feed, land and water than other livestock such as cows and pigs. They also produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions.
And as if that wasn’t enough, some experts say eating insects could help save the planet. TIME Magazine even published a major article about it a few years ago. LawnStarter used several key criteria to create the rankings, including restaurants that serve insects and the number of edible species, to name a few.
According to LawnStarter, these are the best states to try edible insects and wildlife in 2024:
- California
- new York
- North Carolina
- Minnesota
- Florida
- Virginia
- Massachusetts
- Illinois
- Georgia
- Ohio
What does it say that the Commonwealth is the only New England state in the top 10? The next best is Connecticut at number 27! With the exception of New Hampshire (number 30), the other New England states are in the forties.
If you like creepy crawlies or are thinking about REALLY living off the land, read the full article on the LawnStarter website here. It will either make you hungry or make you give up food altogether, but it is an interesting read.
Quiz: Do you know the insect of your state?
Stacker compiled a list of each U.S. state’s official insects, along with their unique characteristics, from a variety of sources. Read on to see if you can guess which insects represent your state.
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