The idea of eating insects often provokes discomfort even before questions of taste, nutrition, or safety arise. This reaction became visible at an edible insects stall during a food mela at the Science Gallery, where visitors negotiated curiosity, disgust, and deeply held ideas of what counts as “normal” food. Many assumed they were encountering a foreign concept, unaware that insect consumption has long been embedded in food cultures within India itself.
Entomophagy in India: A Forgotten Food Tradition
Entomophagy, or the practice of eating insects, is often imagined as something that happens elsewhere, far removed from Indian dietary traditions. In reality, insects have been consumed across several Indian regions for generations. This is particularly evident in parts of Northeast India such as and , where insects are eaten seasonally and sold in local markets like Dimapur’s Mava Market. In these regions, insect-based foods are not novelties. They are familiar, seasonal, and linked to ecological knowledge and intergenerational practices.
Why Discomfort Precedes Experience
At the Bengaluru stall, insect-eating was frequently framed as something “indigenous” — acknowledged but kept at a distance. The hesitation had little to do with flavour and much more to do with perception. In urban contexts, insects are associated with pests and unhygienic spaces rather than nourishment. Urbanisation has widened both physical and cultural distance from food sources. As diets become more standardised and aspirational, foods associated with rural or indigenous communities are often dismissed, regardless of their nutritional or ecological value.
Taste as a Catalyst for Reconsideration
Once visitors moved beyond hesitation and tasted the food, perceptions often shifted. Nearly 60% of those who sampled items such as cricket cookies, chilli garlic crickets, and fried silkworms were first-time consumers. Many described surprise rather than disgust. Silkworms were compared to beans or eggs in texture, while crickets were noted for their stronger flavour. These responses suggest that aversion is less about sensory experience and more about cultural conditioning.
Nutritional Logic Versus Cultural Resistance
From a scientific and production standpoint, edible insects are frequently promoted as an efficient source of protein. Many species are rich in protein, vitamins, and micronutrients. Roughly 80% of an insect’s body mass is edible, compared to about 55% in poultry. They also require far less land, water, and feed than conventional livestock. Yet these rational arguments often fail to translate into acceptance. The stall conversations revealed a gap between awareness of sustainability and willingness to alter everyday food choices.
Food, Class, and Ideas of Modernity
Insect-eating was often framed as belonging to rural or marginal communities rather than urban food cultures. This framing turns food into a marker of class. What is seen as modern or aspirational is embraced, while foods tied to subsistence or traditional livelihoods are labelled backward. Ironically, in regions where insect consumption continues, these foods are neither stigmatised nor marginal. They are part of ordinary life, challenging the urban assumption that progress necessarily means dietary uniformity.
Making Insects Familiar Rather Than Exotic
One way to reduce resistance is through form and presentation. At the stall, insects were offered both whole and processed — ground into cookies or flavoured with garlic and chilli. Processed forms appeared to lower psychological barriers, allowing visitors to focus on taste rather than appearance. Public-facing experiments like food stalls create low-pressure spaces where curiosity can precede judgement, making them important sites for changing food perceptions.
From Wild Harvest to Sustainable Rearing
Acceptance also depends on how insects are produced. At the Insect Biosystematics and Conservation Laboratory of the , researchers are developing standardised insect-rearing protocols. Scaling up controlled rearing can reduce pressure on wild populations while ensuring safety, consistency, and nutritional quality. This shift suggests that changing production systems may be as important as changing cultural attitudes.
What to note for Prelims?
- Meaning of entomophagy and its presence in India
- Regions in India where insects are traditionally consumed
- Nutritional and environmental advantages of edible insects
- Role of research institutions in sustainable food systems
What to note for Mains?
- Cultural barriers to adopting sustainable diets
- Impact of urbanisation on traditional food practices
- Food choices as markers of class and modernity
- Policy and ethical issues in scaling alternative protein sources
