21 Eating Insects-Mid

Eating Insects FOCUS Question Why are insects a good food source?

吃昆虫焦点问题为什么昆虫是很好的食物来源?

Edible Insects Have you ever eaten an insect? Maybe the thought never occurred to you. Or maybe you've tried one and—like the other two billion people in the world who eat insects—you found it to be quite tasty. Eating insects isn't as uncommon as you might think. People have been eating insects for thousands of years! Nowadays, insects are a regular part of the diets of people in many parts of the world, especially in tropical countries where insects are abundant and easy to harvest. Word Wise Entomophagy (en-toh-moh-FAY-jee) is the practice of eating insects. It comes from the Greek words entomon. meaning "insect," and phagein, meaning "to eat."

你吃过昆虫吗? 也许你从没想过。 或者你已经尝试过一种——就像世界上其他20亿吃昆虫的人一样——你发现它相当美味。 吃昆虫并不像你想象的那么罕见。 人类吃昆虫已经有几千年了!如今，昆虫是世界上许多地方人们日常饮食的一部分，特别是在昆虫丰富且容易收获的热带国家。 Entomophagy (en-toh-moh-FAY-jee)是吃昆虫的习俗。 它来自希腊单词entomon。 意思是“昆虫”，噬菌体，意思是“吃”。

Imagine picking up an afternoon snack of sun-dried termites or crunchy caterpillars at your local market. This isn't unusual if you're in South Africa or the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Neither is eating crickets in Thailand. Or grasshoppers in Mexico. Or even yellowjacket wasp larvae in Japan. There are more than 2,000 different kinds of edible insects in the world. Beetles are the most commonly eaten insect. For example, the larvae of the palm weevil—a type of beetle—are enjoyed in parts of Africa and Asia. The number and type of insect species people eat varies in different parts of the world.

想象一下，下午在当地市场买到晒干的白蚁或脆脆的毛毛虫。 如果你在南非或刚果民主共和国，这种情况并不罕见。 在泰国吃蟋蟀也是一样。 还有墨西哥的蚱蜢。 甚至是日本的黄夹克黄蜂幼虫。 世界上有2000多种不同的可食用昆虫。 甲虫是最常见的食用昆虫。 例如，棕榈象鼻虫(一种甲虫)的幼虫在非洲和亚洲的部分地区很受欢迎。 在世界各地，人们食用的昆虫种类和数量各不相同。

Tasty Insects If you've never eaten an insect, you might be surprised to learn how delicious they can be. For example, stink bugs taste like apples, and termites taste like carrots. Many insects—such as grasshoppers, crickets, and beetle larvae—taste a bit nutty, especially if they've been roasted. This is most likely because of their high fat content and crunchy, mineral-rich outer skeletons. Insects often taste like what they eat. Honeypot ants select certain worker ants and feed them nectar until their bellies expand. They have a sweet flavor and are considered a delicacy in North America and Australia.

如果你从未吃过昆虫，你可能会惊讶于它们的美味。 例如，臭虫吃起来像苹果，白蚁吃起来像胡萝卜。 许多昆虫——比如蚱蜢、蟋蟀和甲虫幼虫——吃起来有点坚果味，尤其是如果它们被烤过的话。 这很可能是因为它们的高脂肪含量和脆脆的、富含矿物质的外部骨骼。 昆虫的味道通常和它们吃的一样。 蜜罐蚂蚁会选择特定的工蚁，给它们喂食花蜜，直到它们的肚子变大。 它们味道香甜，在北美和澳大利亚被视为美味佳肴。

Nutritious Protein Not only are insects tasty, but they're nutritious, too! Many insects, especially crickets and termites, are high in protein, an essential nutrient. Proteins are large molecules that are made up of amino acids. There are twenty common amino acids. Half of these are made in your body and are called nonessential amino acids. The other half—called essential amino acids—must come from food. Foods high in protein include meat, eggs, cheese, nuts, and beans as well as some vegetables, like peas and broccoli. Several types of insects have as much protein as lean ground beef. Protein builds, maintains and replaces tissues in your body. Your muscles and blood both need protein. This nutrient also builds organs such as the heart. AMOUNT OF PROTEIN IN CERTAIN FOODS Type of Food Amount of Protein per 100 grams grasshopper 13-48 grams cricket 8-25 grams termite 13-28 grams silkworm caterpillar 10-17 grams palmworm beetle larva 7-36 grams beef 19-26 grams fish 16-28 grams

昆虫不仅美味，而且营养丰富!许多昆虫，尤其是蟋蟀和白蚁，蛋白质含量很高，这是一种必需的营养物质。 蛋白质是由氨基酸组成的大分子。 常见的氨基酸有20种。 这些氨基酸中有一半是在你的身体中产生的，被称为非必需氨基酸。 另外一半被称为必需氨基酸，必须来自食物。 高蛋白食物包括肉、蛋、奶酪、坚果、豆类以及一些蔬菜，如豌豆和西兰花。 有几种昆虫的蛋白质含量和碎牛肉一样多。 蛋白质可以构建、维持和替换你体内的组织。 你的肌肉和血液都需要蛋白质。 这种营养物质还能促进心脏等器官的发育。 某些食物中的蛋白质含量食物种类每100克蚱蜢13-48克蟋蟀8-25克白蚁13-28克蚕毛虫10-17克掌虫甲虫幼虫7-36克牛肉19-26克鱼16-28克

Good Fats Many insects are rich in healthy fats. Fats are another essential nutrient that supplies energy to your body. Fats perform many functions. They help your cells work properly, protect your internal organs, and help keep your bones, hair, skin, and nails healthy. Fatty acids are the building blocks of fats. They're classified into two different types—saturated and unsaturated. Essential fatty acids are unsaturated fats. and are considered to be healthier than saturated fats Essential fatty acids are either omega-3 or omega-6 fatty acids Most people need more omega-3 fatty acids than they get. Witchetty grubs are the caterpillars of a kind of moth found in Australia. They're high in omega-3 fatty acids and can be eaten raw or cooked.

许多昆虫富含健康脂肪。 脂肪是另一种为身体提供能量的必需营养素。 脂肪有许多功能。 它们帮助你的细胞正常工作，保护你的内部器官，帮助保持你的骨骼、头发、皮肤和指甲健康。 脂肪酸是脂肪的组成部分。 它们被分为两种不同的类型——饱和和不饱和。 必需脂肪酸是不饱和脂肪。 必需脂肪酸是欧米伽-3或欧米伽-6脂肪酸，大多数人需要的欧米伽-3脂肪酸比他们获得的要多。 巫蛾幼虫是一种在澳大利亚发现的蛾子的幼虫。 它们富含欧米伽-3脂肪酸，可以生吃或煮着吃。