Creepy Crawly Cuisine!
November 25, 2014 | by Alyssa Tankersley
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| Image courtesy of Google |
Most people will cringe at even the slightest mention of eating a bug. This is a normal response! Our culture has been hardwired to respond to insects this way. While we might not necessarily embrace the idea, many other cultures, such as China, India, and parts of Africa have.
Despite the initial "Eww! Gross!" factor there are many reasons that you should just take the plunge and do it anyways:
1. You already eat bugs anyways. Might as well do it again right?
2. They are an awesome source of protein! (and other much needed things)
3. They have the ability to help feed our growing population.
Ever heard that saying that you eat up to 3 spiders in your sleep a year? Well I hate to break it to you but, those aren't the only bugs you are consuming. The FDA estimates that, on average, in a 100 gram chocolate bar there are 60 or more insect fragments (FDA). Not only do insect parts show up in chocolate, but also in pretty much anything else you eat. If you don't believe me you can check out the statistics yourself in the FDA's Defect Level Handbook.
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| Image courtesy of makeagif.com |
Protein is a substance that everyone requires to build things like muscles, and insects are a great way to get it. Some insects even contain up to 80% protein by weight! Protein isn't all they are good for either; they also contain large amounts of fats, vitamins, fibers, proteins, and minerals (Alford).
The thought of a bug saving the world is admittedly pretty funny, but actually its not far from the truth. The population of the world is growing at an alarming rate. Right now there are around 7 billion people on earth. At the current rate that means by 2050 the population will be at around 9 billion (Dicke). Thats a lot of mouths to feed! Not only would these insects (which there are plenty of!) help feed us in the future, but they also would provide us with much needed nutrients.
The thought of a bug saving the world is admittedly pretty funny, but actually its not far from the truth. The population of the world is growing at an alarming rate. Right now there are around 7 billion people on earth. At the current rate that means by 2050 the population will be at around 9 billion (Dicke). Thats a lot of mouths to feed! Not only would these insects (which there are plenty of!) help feed us in the future, but they also would provide us with much needed nutrients.
Moving on past all the statistics on how good they are and how they can save the world to the more important question about bugs: How do they taste? Reportedly, not too bad! (once you get past the gross looking exterior) Ants have a sweet, nutty taste, while tree worms supposedly taste like pork rinds. Another edible bug is the stinkbug, which once you get past the odor, tastes like apples! (National Grographic) There are countless numbers of edible bugs and ways to prepare them, surely something to please even the pickiest eaters. For more ways that you can prepare these creepy crawlers, you may want to check out this book by David Gordon that teaches you lots of awesome bug recipes, like how to make chocolate covered grasshoppers for example.
Despite being some of the most hated creatures on the planet, bugs really do serve an important purpose to all of us. While I'm not saying that we should just drop all other meat sources like our delicious chicken and bacon, I am proposing that people should keep an open mind when it comes to things like bugs. They could serve a very important purpose in helping feed third world countries and even ourselves one day.
Bon Appétit!
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Works Cited
Alford, Justine. "Will We All Be Eating Insects In 50 Years?" IFL Science. N.p., 28 Aug. 2014. Web. 19 Nov. 2014.
"CPG Sec 515.700 Chocolate and Chocolate Liquor- Adulteration with Insect and Rodent Filth." FDA. Food and Drug Administration, 18 Sept. 2014. Web. 19 Nov. 2014.
Dicke, Marcel. "Why Not Eat Insects?" Ted.com. Web. 19. Nov. 2014.
Holland, Jennifer. "U.N. Urges Eating Insects; 8 Popular Bugs to Try." National Geographic. National Geographic Society, 14 May 2013. Web. 19 Nov. 2014.
Alyssa, nice attention grabber to start off the article, great introductory sentence! You immediately start off explaining the basis of your topic and what the audience's reaction might be to it. Then you provide a statistic, which will boost your credibility and give your audience a reason to agree with you. Then throughout the rest of your topic you go about proving your stance and persuading your audience with your strong use of pathos. There is also plenty more ethos usage to further establish your credibility on the topic. There are two hyperlink provided which is a great way to inform your audience and give them reason to believe you. In my opinion you have successfully achieved your rhetorical purpose, but there is always room for improvement as there is room for it in your article. There is strong usage of reasoning as to why the audience should agree with your, but there is a lack of emotional appeal. You also seem to lack the ability to relate to your audience consisting of people within your age group. There is plenty of rhetoric usage, but without relating to the audience you will lose strength in your article due to not being appealing enough.
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