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Whether you are a survivor, an amateur cook who likes to experiment or is interested in new, ecologically justifiable food sources - there are many reasons for eating insects, maggots and other rather atypical animal species. Nevertheless, the experience can be worthwhile if the animals are actually edible. But what about the larvae of the scarab beetle? Can grubs be eaten?
grub and nutritional value
Irrespective of the motivation for consumption or possible feelings of disgust or scruples, grubs as a food source cannot be dismissed out of hand. Depending on whether you look at the larvae of May beetles, rose chafers or garden chafers, the nutritional values of the animals can vary slightly. Overall, a look at the essential ingredients shows a very good suitability as a food:
- Around 50 to 60 grams of protein
- 30 to 40 grams of fat
- Unsaturated fatty acids
- vitamins
- minerals
- Calorific value around 500 calories
(all information based on 100 grams of live weight)
The high nutritional value of the larvae is mainly due to the fact that the animals themselves eat things that are of course very valuable from a human point of view, namely raw vegetables and other protein-rich insects. In addition, the grubs, as a developmental stage of the later beetle, collect energy reserves that they need for pupation and metamorphosis into the finished insect. Humans make direct use of these reserves when eating the larvae.
INFO: It has been proven that almost all primitive peoples had insects and maggots, which include the grubs, on their menu. The knowledge about the high nutritional value of these animals is not new knowledge, but much more traditional, temporarily forgotten knowledge.
Toxic or not?
In fact, there are individual insects whose developmental stages use toxins to protect themselves from predators. But grubs don't count. What usually prevents people from eating it is much more socially instilled disgust and feelings of disgust. If these are overcome, the caterpillars are easily edible.
The taste
The pure nutritional value does not mean that people enjoy eating certain foods. Taste is definitely a factor too. It is often described in very general terms as nutty and is sometimes also associated with smoked foods in the case of fried maggots.
the consistency
For many undecided people, another issue besides taste might be the consistency of the animals. As insects, they do not have any supporting skeleton, while the chitinous covering present in the final stage has not yet formed. Instead, apart from the outer skin, a very reduced musculoskeletal system and a small head, their body consists primarily of the digestive tract and the energy reserves already built up in the form of fat and protein. You can eat grubs with it, but they do not correspond to the usual feeling of eating animal products.
The preparation
One way to change that is how the beetle larvae are prepared. In principle, the animals can of course be eaten raw at any time. The preparation in fried form, on the other hand, seems a little more “humane”. A few minutes in a very hot pan, or alternatively cooked on a grill, the caterpillars die in seconds without suffering for long. With a crispy shell, the texture is more similar to the usual food of animal origin and the ingredients are retained by the short cooking process.
TIP: Because of the high water content, the caterpillars tend to "jump" when heated in the pan. A splash guard or lid helps to avoid traumatic experiences from maggots flying low.
grubs as parasite carriers
Another advantage of the cooking process for the grub is its potential activity as a host for parasites. Above all, scratchworms from the soil can use the larvae as intermediate hosts on the way to the final host, i.e. humans or animals. As an intestinal parasite, the worms attach themselves to the intestinal wall and make it permeable. Undetected and untreated, such an infestation can cause considerable problems in the long term. On the other hand, if the grub is cooked through, the eggs or larvae of the worm are also killed and it can be eaten without any problems.