On a recent visit to Tokyo, Takumi Yamamoto chose a special lunch of cricket curry and silkworm sashimi, washed down with a water bug drink. “It’s fun to select from a wider variety of dishes,” he says.
He is one of many diners across the world who have taken an interest in eating insects. Bugs are slowly becoming more popular.
The United Nations says bugs are a sustainable source of protein, and they could help to feed the world. Our planet’s population is estimated to grow to 9.7 billion people by the year 2050.
Some diners think eating insects is gross, but Japan has a rich history of using insects as food. Grasshoppers, silkworms and wasps were traditionally eaten there.
