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A Glimpse Into a Gourmet Bug Tasting

YumSugar — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:50:09 -0800

It's one thing to say you'll try any sort of food, but another entirely to truly follow through on your promise. That's why, right before an eight-course gourmet bug tasting this week, I started bugging out over it. If I screamed when I saw insects in my apartment, how was I going to bring myself to eat them?

The one-of-a-kind dinner was organized by the Stanford Club of San Francisco, and featured everything from grasshoppers to dung beetles. Read on to find out how I fared throughout the meal.

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Are You Willing to Accept the Occasional Bug in Produce?

partysugar — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 06:50:36 -0700

Yesterday I read an interesting article on Gourmet's website that discusses an increase in spiders found in packages of grapes. As more and more farmers stop using pesticides and start growing organic, insects like spiders act as a natural pest control. The problem comes when the consumer discovers a bug in their home kitchen.

While I'm a fan of organic produce, the thought of almost popping a grape with a spider on it into my mouth totally freaks me out.

How do you feel about the matter? Are you willing to accept an occasional pest or cobweb in return for fruit and vegetables that are pesticide-free?

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Would You Eat This Insect Sushi?

YumSugar — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 16:15:33 -0700

Earlier today we tested your knowledge of sushi sustainability. Here's another sushi-related question for you.

I've asked several times whether you'd be open to the idea of eating insects, and quite a few of you have responded with a resounding yes. Still, I have to raise the question when it comes to these pictures of insect sushi. Would you go as far as to eat insect sushi?

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Would You Eat This Chapulines Taco?

YumSugar — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 05:30:32 -0700

On a recent dining adventure, Joe at Serious Eats passed up the carnitas tacos in favor of a taco filled with chapulines, a variety of grasshopper that is a prized delicacy in Oaxacan Mexican cuisine. As long as I didn't think about where it came from, the sensual description of the chapulines as "crunchy, nutty, and slightly salty" had me craving one! Are you grossed out by the thought of eating an insect with a crunchy exoskeleton, or does this delicacy appeal to you, too?

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Would You Eat These Chocolate Covered Insects?

YumSugar — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 05:30:22 -0700

While browsing online, I came across these chocolate-covered insects. Although insects are a category of food that Americans aren't accustomed to eating, they have long been a prized delicacy in places like Thailand, Australia, and China. The purveyors of this delicious product, which includes both crickets and larvae, describe it as tasting "like chocolate-covered popcorn." I think chocolate-covered popcorn is absolutely delicious, so I would want to try one of these. What about you: Would you try one? Which would you eat first, the larvae or the adult cricket?

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Yummy Links: From Anthony Bourdain to Bruce Willis

YumSugar — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 08:18:19 -0700

Adam Roberts chats with a tipsy Bourdain in the video above. If that whets your palate then check out the extended Bourdain interview. - The FN Dish
Have we gone too far with pre-packaged foods? - Slashfood
Discover how to find bargain wines. - Chow
Do you know what Ojai Pixie Tangerines are? - Glamdish
Insects are everywhere, and they're good for you too. - Culinate
Should Starbucks owe its baristas $105 million? - SavvySugar
Bruce Willis is now a partner in the Bowery Wine Co. - NY Post

Would You Eat This Grasshopper Snack?

YumSugar — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 11:01:31 -0800

The blogger behind Dish a Day actually chased down a mobile snack shack in order to get this grasshopper snack. And according the folks at Treehugger.com, only 20 percent of the folks on the planet don't eat insects. Having said that, I want to know: Would you eat these grasshoppers? Being part of the I'll try anything once club - not to mention I've already tried a scorpion - I think I'd have to say yes. How about you?

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Folks Are Buzzing Over These Rice Crackers

YumSugar — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 14:48:19 -0700

I am imagining an odd conversation that goes like this:

So what does your grandpa do for a living? Is he retired?

No, he's a wasp hunter.

A what?

A wasp hunter. He hunts wasps in Omachi, Japan. They're used in rice crackers.

Rice crackers?!?

The thing is, this conversation could actually happen. In Omachi, Japan - 120 miles northwest of Tokyo - rice cracker makers have created a new product by adding wasps to the recipe. The wasps are hunted by elderly folks from the village and are caught in nearby forests. But before they are put into crackers, they are boiled, dried and then added to the mix.

Source: Neatorama

Would You Eat Bugs?

YumSugar — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 00:01:19 -0700

Out of all of my friends, I'm probably the one who will eat anything once, actually make that twice (I always have to make sure my first opinion was right). Anyways, I ran across this list of 32 Edible Insect Foods You Can Buy Online and had to question whether or not I would eat these. Okay, who am I kidding, that questioning lasted about 3 seconds, of course I would try them. There are a few on the list that I want to try (Tom Yum Flavored Bamboo Worms anyone?).

Admitting that makes me wonder if this is some kind of new low? I'm almost embarrassed by myself, first I admit I've never eaten at any of the top 50 restaurants in the world and then I say I'd be willing to try all of these bugs. I should also mention that me trying all 32 of these edible bugs is probably more likely than me eating at 32 of those restaurants. But I digress...

The edible bug list includes a few extraordinary things like Roasted Pregnant Crickets and Extra Hot Crushed Giant Bug Paste (both of which can be found online at Thailand Unique), as well as a few more "tame" items such as Giant Toasted Ants (which apparently taste something like bacon) and Chocolate Covered Scorpions, or Scorpion Amber Candy. You can check out the whole list at Senselist.

What do you guys think, would you try any of these?

Source: Make

Would You Drink This Rattlesnake-Infused Vodka?

partysugar — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 15:27:31 -0700

I'm all for infusing vodka at home, but homemade vodka infused with rattlesnake may be going too far. I'm not the only one who thinks it's a little much - the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission recently seized 411 bottles of the illegal substance. Apparently this type of alcohol - liquor infused with insects or reptiles - is popular in some Asian cultures, as it is believed to be an aphrodisiac. I don't think I could take a swig from the bottle, but might be able to take a chilled shot of the potent concoction. How about you? Would you drink this rattlesnake-infused vodka?

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