Eating Jiminy Cricket: Insects as Food

[KennethT]

2 hours ago, liuzhou said:

Today, I took possession of 500 g or 1.1 lbs of 黑蚂蚁 (hēi mǎ yǐ), Chinese black ants, Polyhachis vicina Roger - as one does. These are found in the Changbai Mountains, a mountain range which forms the border between China and North Korea.

 

 

These are said to be very nutritious, being high in protein, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, manganese and zinc, as well as Vitamins B, D, and E. They are widely used in TCM, in weight control, to boost the immune system, as an anti-inflammatory drug, as an anti-aging agent  and even to treat cancer. Naturally, like everything else in TCM, they enhance one's sex life. Of course, there is no evidence of any therapeutic benefit that stands up to western scientific standards.

 

 

They are also, less often, used just as food, being made into a hot drink with honey as well as  being added to rice and congee or even to scrambled egg. They  have a citrus-like flavour coming from their formic acid and are slightly crunchy. The flavour is quite strong so they are used sparingly.

 

They are also used in black ant wine as mentioned in this post above .

 

$9 USD for the 500 g.

 

They are also available in North America. There is more information here.

 

Ant omelette, anyone? Ant and chips?

 

So, if used sparingly, how long will a pound of ants last?  Are they kept live?

[liuzhou]

2 hours ago, KennethT said:

So, if used sparingly, how long will a pound of ants last?  Are they kept live?

 

First up, they are dead. They are packed in a jar containing water into which some of the formic acid has leached giving a vinegary, but not unpleasant taste.

 

The suppliers suggest between 15 to 30 ants per dish, but don't say how large a dish. I'm guessing a family style dish, so this 15 to 30 could be eaten by maybe four people. Typical vague Chinese instructions. They do suggest 5 grams is adequate for one cup of ant and honey tea.

 

I think they are sold more for making into home made tonic wine, where they are used in higher quantities. I won't be going that route.

 

So, I reckon they'll last me the rest of my life. I haven't used them yet but will experiment and post my own recommendations soon.

 

Edited November 10, 2023 by liuzhou (log)

[liuzhou]

To make black ant 'wine'. Roughly translated by me from the seller's webpage.

 

Take 1 pound of ants and stir into 10 pounds of 50⁰ baijiu* and allow to bubble for around 2 to 3 weeks. You may also added ginseng, wolfberries (goji), gastrodia** and other auxiliary herbs. You will live forever! (I may have added the last sentence.)

* For those that don't know, 白酒 (bái jiǔ) is a Chinese spirit made from, usually, sorghum. Smells like vomit and tastes worse.

 

** Gastrodia elata Blume. Another unproven herbal medicine used in TCM.

Edited November 10, 2023 by liuzhou (log)

[chromedome]

Interesting.

 

When I was a curious kid, and read for the first time about people eating insects, I decided to see what a few of my local options tasted like. The small black ants found in my back yard had a distinctly peppery note, which I found surprisingly pleasant. The larger red ants had little to recommend them, and to my chagrin also defended themselves rather more aggressively. After getting my tongue bitten, I abandoned that particular line of inquiry.

 

More recently, when my GF binged a Netflix series about chefs around the world, two of them (that I can recall) used ants in some of their preparations. One was in Mexico, the other...Argentina, I think? Maybe Brazil? In each case, it was a nod to the local indigenous heritage.

[KennethT]

13 hours ago, liuzhou said:

 

First up, they are dead. They are packed in a jar containing water into which some of the formic acid has leached giving a vinegary, but not unpleasant taste.

 

The suppliers suggest between 15 to 30 ants per dish, but don't say how large a dish. I'm guessing a family style dish, so this 15 to 30 could be eaten by maybe four people. Typical vague Chinese instructions. They do suggest 5 grams is adequate for one cup of ant and honey tea.

 

I think they are sold more for making into home made tonic wine, where they are used in higher quantities. I won't be going that route.

 

So, I reckon they'll last me the rest of my life. I haven't used them yet but will experiment and post my own recommendations soon.

 

What is the shelf life when packed in water like that?

[liuzhou]

2 minutes ago, KennethT said:

What is the shelf life when packed in water like that?

 

The packaging states 12 months.