In a survival situation, meal choices are not going to be between filet mignon and Maine lobster with drawn butter — menu options will be much more limited. Even if you’re prepared with a backpack full of MREs and freeze-dried food, it’s helpful to supplement your diet by hunting, fishing, and foraging. But at the end of the day, there may come a time when you need to eat something that’s less than appetizing to stay alive.
Insects are eaten regularly by cultures around the world. While we may find the idea of chowing down on creepy-crawly bugs revolting, they can provide an excellent source of protein and nutrients. Also, they’re often plentiful and easy to catch — you’ll spend many more calories trying to catch a rodent or hunt bigger game animals. This makes insects an excellent survival food.
In the following video, [ shows how to catch and cook one particularly large type of insect: longhorn beetle grubs. These beetle larvae, also called roundheaded borers, can be found eating their way through tree trunks and punkwood. Hansler describes their flavor as “woody, smoky, kind of like a jalapeno popper” and says “I guarantee you I’ve eaten worse off the Chili’s appetizer menu”.
To further enhance the flavor of the giant grubs, Hansler makes a dipping sauce from prickly pear fruit (also called tuna) and chile tepin (a naturally-growing form of hot pepper). The combination of spice from the pepper and sweet fruitiness from the prickly pear sounds pretty appetizing, even if its delivery vehicle is a bit less crunchy than a corn chip. Check out the full video below:
