Home Cooking

Herbivore men are already extinct. The newest trend is Insectivore men, or those who eschew the unhealthy lifestyle that comes with the hustle and bustle of a megalopolis like Tokyo in favor for comfort food from an older, simpler time.

Intrepid TSB field reporter Chaya gets back to her country roots at a cook-off between Bug Eater University and The Insect Cooking Workshop. Participants were invited to shell pupa, fry grasshoppers, and fondue their choice of creepy crawlies. Let’s dig in!


Seeing the larva squirming around in the nest, your first instinct would be to pop the juiciest one into your mouth, yet let's not forget our manners! First, bite off the posterior to allow the silky excrement to flow out of the body. Don’t worry about harming your quarry—the larva will still dance around the inside of your mouth!


This isn’t to say that the excrement of all insects is inedible. Jelly made from silkworm poo tastes like a Chinese medicinal herb, their main form of sustenance. I wonder if the same applies for caterpillars on mint leaves?


The next time you open a bag of grain to find a family of mealworms, consider them the prize at the bottom of the cereal box. Throw them in the skillet to give your yakisoba that extra crunch. They also serve as a cheap, healthy alternative to pork!

Oh boy! Candied critters!

The Insect Cooking Workshop wowed the crowd with their elaborate yet subtle dishes reminiscent of traditional kaiseki cooking. Check out the group’s blog and homepage for information on past and future events. TSB will be at the next event in full force, so stalk us if you have the guts stomach for it!

From the top:

Giant hornet pizza
Giant hornet stir-fry (with water bug extract)
Bug cheese cake
Inchworm tequila
Hornet shochu
Yuzu-honey soda

Here's an appetizer we found on Youtube just before posting this: