Why do two billion people eat insects while the West squirms?

Two billion people eat insects because, in much of the world, they are simply food, and the West is the exception. Insects are intentionally eaten in 80% of the world's nations, by roughly 3,000 ethnic groups, and the FAO estimated some two billion insect eaters in 2005. In Western cultures the idea is generally taboo: in the United States and Europe, polls say only about 20% of people would consider it, compared with 91% willing to try plant-based "alternative meats". Where insects are not traditionally eaten, cultural barriers and disgust hold people back.

What people eat tends to follow what is available. Close alignment between the species diversity of an insect group and how often it is eaten suggests that humans tend to eat the insects that are most available. More species are eaten in equatorial and sub-tropical regions, where insects are more abundant and available all year round.

It is not for lack of nutrition. Some insects, such as crickets and mealworms, are a complete protein with essential amino acids similar to soybeans. Per 100 grams, crickets have 12.9 grams of protein, 121 calories and 5.5 grams of fat; beef has more protein, 23.5 grams, but also about triple the calories and four times the fat.

Ant eggs go into Mexican escamoles, a kind of insect caviar that can sell for as much as US$50 to US$200 per kilogram because they are seasonal and hard to find. To win over Western consumers, insects have been processed into non-recognisable forms such as powders or flour.