The practice even has a name: entomophagy.

這種行為甚至有個名字：食蟲性。

Early hunter-gatherers probably learned from animals that foraged for protein-rich insects and followed suit.

早期採集狩獵者也許是向動物學習，跟著尋找蛋白質優渥的昆蟲。

As we evolved and bugs became part of our dietary tradition, they fulfilled the role of both staple food and delicacy.

昆蟲逐漸成為人類飲食傳統的一部分，成為了主要食物來源和美味的表徵。

In ancient Greece, cicadas were considered luxury snacks.

在古希臘，蟬被視為高檔零食。

And even the Romans found beetle larvae to be scrumptious.

羅馬人甚至認為甲蟲幼蟲是美味佳餚。

Why have we lost our taste for bugs?

那我們為什麼不再吃蟲了呢？

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.

我們拒絕吃蟲是有歷史因素的，而這個故事也許從西元前一萬年中東的肥沃月灣開始，那是農作物的主要產地。

Back then, our once-nomadic ancestors began to settle in the Crescent.

當時，游牧民族祖先開始定居於肥沃月灣。

And as they learned to farm crops and domesticate animals there, attitudes changed, rippling outwards towards Europe and the rest of the western world.

他們開始在那學習耕種穀物和圈養動物。人們的態度開始改變，並影響歐洲和其他西方國家。

As farming took off, people might have spurned bugs as mere pests that destroyed their crops.

自農業崛起，人們將昆蟲視為毀壞作物的害蟲。

Populations grew, and the West became urbanized, weakening connections with our foraging past.

人口成長加上西方都市化，削弱了我們與過去覓食文化的連結。

People simply forgot their bug-rich history.

人們完全忘那充滿昆蟲的飲食歷史。

Today, for people not accustomed to entomophagy, bugs are just an irritant.

如今，對不習慣吃蟲的人們來說，昆蟲就只是個很煩的生物。

They sting and bite and infest our food.

牠們叮人又咬人，還污染食物。

We feel an "ick" factor associated with them and are disgusted by the prospect of cooking insects.

我們覺得昆蟲超級噁心，而且對烹煮昆蟲厭惡不已。

Almost 2,000 insect species are turned into food, forming a big part of everyday diets for two billion people around the world.

近兩千種昆蟲被當作食材，成為世界上兩億人日常飲食中的重要角色。

Countries in the tropics are the keenest consumers because culturally it's acceptable.

熱帶國家的人最熱衷於吃蟲，因為這在他們的文化中是可接受的。

Species in those regions are also large, diverse, and tend to congregate in groups or swarms that make them easy to harvest.

而昆蟲的種類在那些地區棲地龐大、種類多樣化，而大多都成群結隊，這讓牠們很容易捕獲。

Take Cambodia in southeast Asia where huge tarantulas are gathered, fried, and sold in the marketplace.

以東南亞的柬埔寨來說，那裡的市場販賣成堆的油炸狼蛛。

In southern Africa, the juicy mopane worm is a dietary staple, simmered in a spicy sauce or eaten dried and salted.

在非洲南部，多汁的可樂豆木蟲（天蠶幼蟲）是主要的飲食，他們會用辣醬燜煮或是曬乾灑鹽。

And in Mexico, chapulines are toasted with garlic, lemon, and salt.

在墨西哥，蝗蟲會和大蒜、檸檬和鹽一起烤。

Bugs can be eaten whole to make up a meal or ground into flour, powder, and paste to add to food.

可以吃整隻蟲作為一餐，或是磨成粉狀、糊狀加到食物中。

But it's not all about taste.

但這不只跟味道有關。

They're also healthy.

昆蟲對健康也有益。

In fact, scientists say entomophagy could be a cost-effective solution for developing countries that are food insecure.

事實上，科學家認為食蟲性有望成為解決發展中國家糧食不足問題，經濟實惠的辦法。

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.

昆蟲蛋白質含量可高達百分之八十，而蛋白質是身體非常重要的構成成分。而且昆蟲也富含高能量脂肪、纖維和微量元素，如維他命和礦物質。

Did you know that most edible insects contain the same amount or even more mineral iron than beef?

你知道嗎？大多數可食用昆蟲含有和牛肉一樣，甚至更多的鐵質。

Making them a huge, untapped resource when you consider that iron deficiency is currently the most common nutritional problem in the world.

而鐵質缺乏正是目前世界最常見的營養缺乏問題，這使昆蟲成了龐大的潛在未開發資源。

The mealworm is another nutritious example.

黃粉蟲是另一個富含營養價值的例子。

The yellow beetle larvae are native to America and easy to farm.

這種黃色的甲蟲幼蟲是美洲原生種，且非常容易飼養。

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.

牠們含高維他命和超多健康礦物質，而且含有高達百分之五十的蛋白質，幾乎和同量的牛肉一樣。

To cook, simply saute in butter and salt or roast and drizzle with chocolate for a crunchy snack.

只需用牛油和鹽巴炒香，或是烤一烤再淋上巧克力，就變成香脆可口的零食啦！

What you have to overcome in "ick" factor, you gain in nutrition and taste.

你只要克服「噁心」這個因素，就能得到營養和美味。

Indeed, bugs can be delicious.

事實上，昆蟲也可以很美味。

Mealworms taste like roasted nuts.

黃粉蟲吃起來像烤過的堅果。

Locusts are similar to shrimp.

蝗蟲味道類似蝦子。

Crickets, some people say, have an aroma of popcorn.

有些人說蟋蟀有爆米花的香味。

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.

比家畜類，養殖昆蟲作為食物對環境影響也較低，因為昆蟲釋放的溫室氣體較少，也比較不花費空間、水 和飼料。

Socioeconomically, bug production could uplift people in developing countries since insect farms can be small scale, highly productive, and yet relatively inexpensive to keep.

以社會經濟來說，昆蟲生產也有利發展中國家的人民，因為昆蟲飼養規模小、產能高，而且維持經費不高。

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.

昆蟲也可成為養家畜的永續飼料，也可以用有機廢物飼養，像蔬菜皮。不然這些廚餘也只能在垃圾場腐爛。

Feeling hungry yet?

餓了嗎？

Faced with a plate of fried crickets, most people today would still recoil, imagining all those legs and feelers getting stuck between their teeth.

面對一大盤炸蟋蟀，大部份的人還是會倒彈，想像那些腳跟觸角卡在牙縫中。

But think of a lobster.

但想想龍蝦。

It's pretty much just a giant insect with legs and feelers galore that was once regarded as an inferior, repulsive food.

龍蝦也不過就是超大的昆蟲，也有腳和觸角。龍蝦曾經被視為次等和令人反感的食物。

Now, lobster is a delicacy.

而現在龍蝦是精緻美食。

Can the same paradigm shift happen for bugs?

這樣的喜好轉變也會發生在昆蟲上嗎？

So, give it a try!

所以！試試看吧！

Pop that insect into your mouth, and savor the crunch.

丟隻蟲近嘴裡，品嚐那香脆的滋味。