Japan’s insect-eating tradition gets a modern makeover

Throughout history, the all-time favorite protein source has been insects. Eating insects was once common across mankind, with the ancient Greeks and Romans of 2,500 years ago seemingly partial to a bug or two. Some say that entomophagy in Japan may go back 3,000 years. A study by entomologist Tsunekata Miyake has shown that an impressive 55 varieties of insects were eaten daily in Japan during the Taisho era (1912 – 1926).

Japan’s most common insect dish is probably “inago no tsukudani,” which is grasshoppers boiled in soy source. Have you ever tried it? Or seen it in the delicatessen section in a supermarket here? During my childhood, it often appeared on our dining table alongside other traditional dishes, like Japanese pickles. So, for me, boiled grasshoppers weren’t unusual and were not off-putting at all because I was exposed to them since I don’t even remember when. My experience, however appears to be the exception.

According to a survey of 800 participants conducted by marketing firm NEXER Inc. in 2022, 30.1 % of respondents had eaten insects before. Among the majority who had never eaten insects, only 9.1% said they would like to do so in the future. So, it seems that most Japanese people are not keen on eating grasshoppers or any other kind of bug.

Why do we need to go retro and eat grasshoppers anyway? Well, changing times have brought us new reasons to embrace this way of the past. When I say “changing times,” what I really mean is “a changing climate.” And when I say that, what I mean is the current and worsening situation of damaging, extreme weather phenomena that pose an existential threat to humankind. So, the stakes are high.

Bugs as an affordable alternative protein

As you know, meat production causes higher greenhouse gas emissions that other agricultural practices. Meat and dairy account for around 14.5% of global GHG emissions, according to the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO). And since at least the release in 2019 of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s special report, we have all been advised to reduce our meat consumption to curb emissions. Edible insects are now seen as an alternative protein source to meat worldwide.

But bugs are not only our saviors in terms of emissions. The world is expected to experience food insecurity in the next 30-40 years. Many of us will struggle to afford meat as increases in the price of cereals cause higher animal feed costs. Sooner or later, we will need cheaper alternative sources of protein than the ones we rely on now.

A study says that 55% to 73% of a cricket is composed of protein, which is a higher protein content than that of roasted goat, broiler chicken or pork. Also, edible crickets are rich in macro- and micro-mineral elements such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, iron, zinc, manganese, and copper. Moreover, they contain many vitamins, including vitamins A, B, C, D, E, and K.

Cricket ramen and other modern insect food

So, crickets are a rich source of nutrition. But even when covered in soy sauce they just don’t look appetizing. Tsukudani, of course, is a tradition. Nowadays, grasshoppers are served in much more stylish and innovative ways.

MUJI’s Cricket Cracker is definitely the new classic. It looks quite similar to shrimp crackers and a package of 55 g only costs 190 yen. MUJI also has another cricket food that sounds even tastier, the cricket chocolate protein bar. Both snacks are out of stock online but physical stores across the county have them. The affordable price and size of these snacks make it easy for us to give them a try.

Those who are ready to jump into a full cricket meal should try the world’s first cricket ramen. It was jointly developed by ramen restaurant “Ramen Nagi” and Yuta Shinohara, the founder of ANTCICADA. The ramen noodles, “dashi” stock and soy sauce are made from two kinds of domestically produced crickets. It is served at the restaurant Antcicada and costs 1,100 yen, which is not unreasonable.

Antcicada’s side dishes also look unique and tasty. One that especially caught my attention was the grasshoppers in “rayu” chili oil. This might be a challenging food for those who don’t like the appearance of insects, but for someone like me, who is used to soy-boiled grasshoppers, it looks good.

There is even a mail-order website just for insect food: rice cake made from crickets and brown rice, cricket candy, cricket ice cream and so on. The price range is wide as it is a niche and high-end market. However, the prices will surely drop if raw material costs decrease, less costly production technology is developed, or the number of suppliers in the market increases. It is exciting to see how much this niche market will grow in the near future. More affordable cricket food may not be far away.

For more insect food in Japan!