20/07/2023
INYANKIRI/INYAARI
In those days as a teacher, one day I went to one of the senior classes to teach Biology & something unusual happened. On entering the class & even before the students could even audibly tap the table to accord me the routine greeting, I couldn’t withstand the odour from the class.
The odour was superlatively foul; comparable to when a Swarm/Cloud of this grasshopper below are forcefully crushed together in a small non-ventilated enclosure.
On further immediate investigation, I discovered that this awful slightly pungent smell was emanating from what the students referred to as “NEW SWEET IN TOWN”; of which greater percentage of the class were momentarily & adventurously feasting on.
Why any human should accept that foul-smelling so-called “New-sweet-in-town” for free, talk more of purchasing it, hitherto, baffles me.
But as students, I know it’s what it is.
Meanwhile, the arthropod below is called Inyankiri or Inyaari in most Igbo dialects in Ebonyi State, especially the southern flank.
The English man refers to it as variegated grasshopper, probably because it has generalized conspicuous bodily spots.
In zoological taxonomy, it is assigned a binomial nomenclature as Zonocerus variegatus. It feeds mainly on cassava leaves(Manihot spp) and cereal foliages.
The repugnant foul-smelling secretion from this animal is pheromone, basically to attract partners for mating & as well to ward off predators to prevent being ingested.
Now, the big question is, can this pheromone totally prevent predation? Of course No!
The likes of those my students enjoying their “New-sweet-in-town”can enjoyably devour this insect when turned to delicacy, irrespective of the volume of alkaloidal pheromones secreted.
Entomophagy is the term for insect consumption. It could also be referred to as Insectivory. Insects remain one of the living multicellular organisms with highest species. They are simply numerous. In fact, Food & Agricultural Organization(FAO) said in 2005 that there are some two billion insect consumers worldwide eating varied species; They were as well suggesting that eating insects is a possible solution to environmental degradation caused by livestock production.
In as much as insects fall under non-conventional foods, it is actually good and nutritious to be consumed if you can.
Best method of Preparation
1) Pull the heads to remove guts; remove wings as well.
2) Wash thoroughly with plenty water.
3) Blanch (like vegetables); the reasons for blanching include: to brighten the colour, to slow or prevent loss of vitamins and other nutrients, to slow further enzymes action thereby preventing loss of flavour, etc.
4) Fry with oil(preferably palm oil), salt & healthy spice of choice till it is partially or totally crunchy. At this point, it is ready for consumption
Apart from human consumption of arthropods (arthro-entomophagy), they could as well be used to supplement various animal feeds.
Insects can be processed into a variety of forms, including pastes, powders, and meals, which extends their shelf life and allows them to be easily substituted in cooking and baking with no change in flavour, texture, or appearance. Insects can also be used to separate nutrients including vitamins, minerals, lipids, and proteins, allowing them to be used as nutritional supplements. In Africa, insects are basically consumed whole.
Nutritional Benefits Of Insectivory
Edible insects have relatively high amounts of elements that are important in the human diet, and it is believed that, depending on the species, edible insects contain up to 80% of all required nutrients. In terms of carbohydrates, calories, saturated fat, and sodium, edible insects like the house cricket have been found to be much more nutritious than traditional diets like beef and chicken.
Insects have long been a source of food for roughly 2 billion people around the world, and they are still a part of many people's diets. Many components that are important to human nutrition are found in insects, including lipids, proteins, fibre, vitamins, and minerals. Many edible insects have nutritional profiles that are comparable to those of other commonly consumed animal and plant diets. Most edible insects meet daily calorie and nutrient requirements, since they contain polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, essential amino acids, zinc, iron, and fibre. They may also be used as a protein substitute for other animal proteins such as chicken, beef, and fish. Most insects, particularly crickets, consume enough histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine to meet or exceed adult requirements for most important amino acids.
The protein content of the edible insects is higher than that of soybeans, a common plant protein source. Chitin, which is found in the exoskeletons of a variety of insects, is also a good source of fibre & calcium and may help the immune system. Micronutrients such as B vitamins, zinc, and iron are abundant in many insects.
Moreover, incorporating edible insects into human meals has the potential to benefit the environment as well as human health. Resources such as land and water may be conserved, greenhouse gas emissions could be decreased, and food security challenges might be addressed by substituting edible insects for other animal and plant feeds. Edible insects like the house cricket have a nutrient profile that includes enough essential amino acids, unsaturated fats, fibre, minerals & vitamins, such as vitamin B12, iron, zinc, and calcium, to make them a viable alternative to plant & animal foods like pork, chicken, and beef in human diets. Edible insect’s nutrient composition may allow them to boost human health through intake by enhancing gastrointestinal health, increasing immunological function, lowering the risk of bacterial infection, and even reducing chronic inflammation linked to cancer and cardiovascular diseases(CVDs).
Edible insects have a wide range of potential nutritional and environmental benefits; although additional researches into their use in human diets are still ongoing.
Edible insects can be used as potential meat substitutes or dietary supplements, as has been alternatively used in many African countries & other continents during famines resulting from civil unrests or wars.
Any Disadvantage(s) Of Insectivory?
Apart from being a crop-destructive pest, there are few disadvantages of ingestion of certain insects, precisely Z. variegatus.
1.)Pathogenicity
Many insects are vectors(carriers of pathogens). High rejection of Z. variegatus by it’s supposed predators due to awful unpleasant smell emanating from high body alkaloids makes people question it’s safety when consumed. Some people believe Z. variegatus, precisely, has the capacity to poison other animals and human species. Others believe it’s toxicity level should be ascertained first, to help quantify recommended daily allowance(RDA).
Meanwhile, certain pathogens such as E. coli and Campylobacter have been found in living insects.
2.)Allergenic
According to FAO, there is high tendency of developing serious allergic reactions from insect consumption. Owing to that, people that do experience sea food allergy are advised to avoid insect consumption.
3.)Chemical
Most insects are eaten whole.Owing to this, they are vulnerable to chemical contamination. Pesticides, toxic metals & dioxins are specific chemicals of concern in insect consumption.
4.)Physical
Insects can have choking properties due to their hard body parts which include stingers, wings, spines & rostrum(sharp mouthparts).
Note
As some people customarily or culturally do, eating insects raw is totally inadvisable.
©Okereke Dickson O.,RDN, LD, mDAN, mICDA.
