Insectivores Swarm to a Bug Eating Club in Tokyo

Insect eating club in Tokyo attracts enthusiasts with bug parties. Full Story: Fried cicadas, wasp larvae rice and smoked cicada nymphs were all in season and on the menu at a Tokyo club on Sunday. Crowds gathered to savour the bug banquet being prepared at the Konchu Ryori Kenkyukai (Insect Cuisine Research Association) which opens its doors to anyone interested in consuming insects as food - from curious newcomers to long-time enthusiasts. Since its beginning in 1999, the club has promoted the culinary use of insects not only for their nutritional value, but for their eco-friendly nature and sustainability. By hosting periodic gatherings and feasts, roughly 20 followers of the insect-eating culture meet to experiment numerous recipes which can vary from main dishes to desserts. First-timer Makoto Itokawa said she initially had to overcome her preconceptions about eating bugs and was able to do so thanks to the club's founder, Shoichi Uchiyama. "I used to think that eating insects was disgusting, but after reading Uchiyama's books, I came here with the expectation of insects being tasty since he describes them so well," Itokawa told Reuters as wasp larvae were being simmered in a soya sauce and cooking rice wine broth next to her. Thirty-one-year-old Itokawa however could not contain her elation after biting into a deep-fried cicada. "Wow, it's delicious," she said. "The wings taste like nuts and the body tastes like fish or shrimp." Many of the patrons of the club are young women unfazed by critter cooking. Experienced insectivore, twenty-two-year-old Ayano Kobayashi said her consumption of insects has been on-going for the last seven years given her dislike of meat. "Since it's difficult to produce livestock at home, I decided to raise my own insects and eat them," Kobayashi said. The concept is not far fetched. A report released by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) brought the culinary use of insects to consumers' attention earlier last year when it stated that said many insects contain the same amount of protein and minerals as meat, as well as the more healthy fats doctors recommend in balanced diets. As well as helping in the costly battle against obesity, which the World Health Organization estimates has nearly doubled since 1980 and affects around 500 million people, the report said insect farming was likely to be less land-dependent than traditional livestock and produce fewer greenhouse gases. Insect farming would also provide business and export opportunities for poor people in developing countries, especially women, who are often responsible for collecting insects in rural communities. In Japan, 63-year-old Shoichi Uchiyama sees rising interest among women as food safety and security concerns continue three years after Japan's nuclear crisis, triggered by the earthquake and tsunami of March 11, 2011. "The Fukushima nuclear disaster brought quite a lot of attention to food that can be easily procured. Mothers of young children have been particularly interested in what they eat and how they select the food they consume," Uchiyama said. Uchiyama has even written a cookbook with his favourite bug recipes. Called "Your Life Will Change! 50 Select Insect Dishes" in Japanese which was published in July. He expects to release an English edition any time soon. Meanwhile Uchiyama continues at home, surrounded by his Madagascar hissing cockroach pets, to concoct different crunchy savouries, such as chocolate and rainbow sprinkles cicadas, to try out at his next feast. For more news and videos visit ☛ http://ntd.tv Follow us on Twitter ☛ http://twitter.com/NTDTelevision Add us on Facebook ☛ http://on.fb.me/s5KV2C