LYRICFLUENT
LYRICFLUENTShould We Eat Bugs? Lyrics by Addison Anderson Addison Anderson
Below, you will find the lyrics for Should We Eat Bugs? by Addison Anderson.
For centuries, people have consumed bugs
Everything from beetles
To caterpillars, locusts
Grasshoppers, termites, and dragonflies
The practice even has a name
Entomophagy
Early hunter-gatherers probably learned from animals
That foraged for protein-rich insects and followed suit
As we evolved and bugs became part of our dietary tradition
They fulfilled the role of both staple food and delicacy
In ancient Greece, cicadas were considered luxury snacks
And even the Romans found beetle larvae to be scrumptious
Why have we lost our taste for bugs?
The reason for our rejection is historical
And the story probably begins
Around 10,000 BC in the Fertile Crescent
A place in the Middle East
That was a major birthplace of agriculture
Back then, our once-nomadic ancestors began to settle in the Crescent
And as they learned to farm crops and domesticate animals there
Attitudes changed
Rippling outwards towards Europe and the rest of the Western world
As farming took off
People might have spurned bugs as mere pests
That destroyed their crops
Populations grew, and the West became urbanized
Weakening connections with our foraging past
People simply forgot their bug-rich history
Today, for people not accustomed to entomophagy
Bugs are just an irritant
They sting and bite and infest our food
We feel an 'ick factor' associated with them
And are disgusted by the prospect of cooking insects
Almost 2,000 insect species are turned into food
Forming a big part of everyday diets
For two billion people around the world
Countries in the tropics are the keenest consumers
Because culturally, it's acceptable
Species in those regions are also large, diverse
And tend to congregate in groups or swarms
That make them easy to harvest
Take Cambodia in Southeast Asia
Where huge tarantulas are gathered
Fried, and sold in the marketplace
In southern Africa
The juicy mopane worm is a dietary staple
Simmered in a spicy sauce
Or eaten dried and salted
And in Mexico, chopped jumiles are toasted with garlic, lemon, and salt
Bugs can be eaten whole to make up a meal
Or ground into flour, powder, and paste to add to food
But it's not all about taste
They're also healthy
In fact, scientists say entomophagy could be a cost-effective solution
For developing countries that are food insecure
Insects can contain up to 80% protein
The body's vital building blocks
And are also high in energy-rich fat
Fiber, and micronutrients like vitamins and minerals
Did you know that most edible insects contain the same amount
Or even more mineral iron than beef
Making them a huge, untapped resource when you consider
That iron deficiency
Is currently the most common nutritional problem in the world?
The mealworm is another nutritious example
The yellow beetle larvae are native to America and easy to farm
They have a high vitamin content
Loads of healthy minerals
And can contain up to 50% protein
Almost as much as in an equivalent amount of beef
To cook, simply sauté in butter and salt
Or roast and drizzle with chocolate for a crunchy snack
What you have to overcome in 'ick factor,'
You gain in nutrition and taste
Indeed, bugs can be delicious
Mealworms taste like roasted nuts
Locusts are similar to shrimp
Crickets, some people say, have an aroma of popcorn
Farming insects for food also has less environmental impact
Than livestock farms do
Because insects emit far less greenhouse gas
And use up less space, water, and food
Socioeconomically, bug production
Could uplift people in developing countries
Since insect farms can be small scale
Highly productive, and yet relatively inexpensive to keep
Insects can also be turned into more sustainable food for livestock
And can be reared on organic waste
Like vegetable peelings
That might otherwise just end up rotting in landfills
Feeling hungry yet?
Faced with a plate of fried crickets, most people today would still recoil
Imagining all those legs and feelers getting stuck between their teeth
But think of a lobster
It's pretty much just a giant insect with legs and feelers galore
That was once regarded as an inferior, repulsive food
Now, lobster is a delicacy
Can the same paradigm shift happen for bugs?
So, give it a try!
Pop that insect into your mouth
And savor the crunch
Did you like this lyrics translation?
Learn English with lessons based on this song!
Rated 4.9 ★ by 7000+ learners
Apple and App Store are trademarks of Apple Inc.
Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google LLC.