5 ms·

because the idea is inherently revolting

jay-anderson 8y ago
There are humans that eat insects. I don't think there's something about eating insects we automatically find unappealing. I believe we've been taught that. Another idea is we don't like seeing the face of what we're eating. Most meat is processed to the point where we can't see where it comes from. For fun my wife made some cookies including cricket powder. We told people and did not hide that fact from them. Most wanted to try it for the novelty of it and didn't find the idea disgusting.
- iamdave 8y ago
  Another idea is we don't like seeing the face of what we're eating. Most meat is processed to the point where we can't see where it comes from. Ahh laws and sausages ;)
- gnulinux 8y ago
  Primate brain has special parts specifically wired to visually process snakes [1]. It is also thought that it has specific parts that process the shape of spider, and maybe other insects [2]. This is one explanation why primates have such a strangely large brain. Processing image requires a lot of computational power, being arboreal, primates need to distinguish snakes and spiders to safely crawl in the forest. This is not to say, primates wouldn't eat snakes or spiders. I don't know if other primates eat them (they might be?) but humans do eat both [3] [4]. [1] http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2013/10/did-snakes-help-build-primate-brain http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2013/10/did-snakes-help-build... [2] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982214004539 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S096098221... [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entomophagy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entomophagy [4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake#Consumption https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake#Consumption
gnulinux 8y ago
This is very condescending. There are a lot of cultures that eat insects. It may be revolting for you -- it is revolting for me -- but calling it "inherently revolting" is not appropriate. Please read https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entomophagy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entomophagy. From the article: > The total number of ethnic groups recorded to practice entomophagy is around 3,000.[2] What makes our culture closer to "inherent" human nature than those 3000 cultures?
- vbuwivbiu 8y ago
  I said nothing about other cultures - I was only speaking for myself
nkrisc 8y ago
That's what you've been conditioned to believe.
tomjen3 8y ago
That was my first thought too. I am Danish and I eat leverpostej daily. It is minced pork liver, minced pork fat and a few other things, mixed baked in the oven. I am sure others would say it is revolting, but I love the taste. I also had squid. Tasted kinda rubbery, but people might say it was revolting. I have had (and enjoyed) pig heart, it is super time consuming to make, but so, so delicious. I have had pig cheeks as well. Also tasty. My point with this isn't to gross anybody out, but that what we find gross is a cultural thing, not an objective thing, so there is no a priory reason we should find insects especially gross. And yes, I have had meal-worms. Tasted like paper, but the nutritional ratios are a dream: 53% protein, 20ish percent fat, almost no carbs.
- gnulinux 8y ago
  I think pork is a very good example. In Europe, you can see millions of Jewish people or Muslims that consider pork "unclean" and don't eat them; just like we consider rats "unclean" and don't eat them but eat pork. It really doesn't make sense to think that there is single "inherent" way how people think about food.
noobermin 8y ago
To be honest, this is the real reason, and I guess the article is trying to push back against the cultural aversion to insect meat in the US specifically. It really isn't that hard to explain. It's the same reason we don't eat rats. They are considered "unclean".
- gnulinux 8y ago
  Muslims and Jewish people don't eat pork. If you ask a religious Muslim or Jew they'll tell you "they don't eat it because God forbid them to". But if you go to more secular cultures (Europen/American Jewish communities, Turkey, Azerbaijan etc...) they'll rationalize it by saying "pig is not a clean animal, that's why we don't eat it". Human culture comes in all sorts of shapes and beliefs. The moment you try to put it into cups, you'll realize it's not as flexible as you thought. There are thousands of cultures that eat insect, or pig; and as many cultures that consider them unclean.
anigbrowl 8y ago
No, you feel inherently revolted. It's just not a big deal to other people. Understanding this won't undermine your preferences in any meaningful way but it will make the rest of the world much easier to deal with.

There are humans that eat insects. I don't think there's something about eating insects we automatically find unappealing. I believe we've been taught that. Another idea is we don't like seeing the face of what we're eating. Most meat is processed to the point where we can't see where it comes from. For fun my wife made some cookies including cricket powder. We told people and did not hide that fact from them. Most wanted to try it for the novelty of it and didn't find the idea disgusting.

iamdave 8y ago
Another idea is we don't like seeing the face of what we're eating. Most meat is processed to the point where we can't see where it comes from. Ahh laws and sausages ;)
gnulinux 8y ago
Primate brain has special parts specifically wired to visually process snakes [1]. It is also thought that it has specific parts that process the shape of spider, and maybe other insects [2]. This is one explanation why primates have such a strangely large brain. Processing image requires a lot of computational power, being arboreal, primates need to distinguish snakes and spiders to safely crawl in the forest. This is not to say, primates wouldn't eat snakes or spiders. I don't know if other primates eat them (they might be?) but humans do eat both [3] [4]. [1] http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2013/10/did-snakes-help-build-primate-brain http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2013/10/did-snakes-help-build... [2] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982214004539 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S096098221... [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entomophagy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entomophagy [4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake#Consumption https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake#Consumption

gnulinux 8y ago

This is very condescending. There are a lot of cultures that eat insects. It may be revolting for you -- it is revolting for me -- but calling it "inherently revolting" is not appropriate. Please read https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entomophagy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entomophagy. From the article: > The total number of ethnic groups recorded to practice entomophagy is around 3,000.[2] What makes our culture closer to "inherent" human nature than those 3000 cultures?

vbuwivbiu 8y ago
I said nothing about other cultures - I was only speaking for myself

nkrisc 8y ago

That's what you've been conditioned to believe.

tomjen3 8y ago

That was my first thought too. I am Danish and I eat leverpostej daily. It is minced pork liver, minced pork fat and a few other things, mixed baked in the oven. I am sure others would say it is revolting, but I love the taste. I also had squid. Tasted kinda rubbery, but people might say it was revolting. I have had (and enjoyed) pig heart, it is super time consuming to make, but so, so delicious. I have had pig cheeks as well. Also tasty. My point with this isn't to gross anybody out, but that what we find gross is a cultural thing, not an objective thing, so there is no a priory reason we should find insects especially gross. And yes, I have had meal-worms. Tasted like paper, but the nutritional ratios are a dream: 53% protein, 20ish percent fat, almost no carbs.

gnulinux 8y ago
I think pork is a very good example. In Europe, you can see millions of Jewish people or Muslims that consider pork "unclean" and don't eat them; just like we consider rats "unclean" and don't eat them but eat pork. It really doesn't make sense to think that there is single "inherent" way how people think about food.

noobermin 8y ago

To be honest, this is the real reason, and I guess the article is trying to push back against the cultural aversion to insect meat in the US specifically. It really isn't that hard to explain. It's the same reason we don't eat rats. They are considered "unclean".

gnulinux 8y ago
Muslims and Jewish people don't eat pork. If you ask a religious Muslim or Jew they'll tell you "they don't eat it because God forbid them to". But if you go to more secular cultures (Europen/American Jewish communities, Turkey, Azerbaijan etc...) they'll rationalize it by saying "pig is not a clean animal, that's why we don't eat it". Human culture comes in all sorts of shapes and beliefs. The moment you try to put it into cups, you'll realize it's not as flexible as you thought. There are thousands of cultures that eat insect, or pig; and as many cultures that consider them unclean.

anigbrowl 8y ago

No, you feel inherently revolted. It's just not a big deal to other people. Understanding this won't undermine your preferences in any meaningful way but it will make the rest of the world much easier to deal with.