Question of the Day - Friday, September 12th, 2025

[CombNWattles]

Plenty of coddling moth caterpillars back when I was doing apple picking and other orchard work. Aphids and probably other things on unwashed veg. I often just fry oyster mushrooms that've started getting maggoty without picking them out first.

I would actually die if I ate any of that. I have a horror of caterpillars and I can imagine no worse torture than being forced to consume them.
And maggots…. I’ve seen too much fly strike to think of them without revulsion.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

No. I remain happily bugless, thank you. As far as I know. Can't speak to what the FDA allows in canned foods and sauces. .

 

[kattabelly]

I would actually die if I ate any of that. I have a horror of caterpillars and I can imagine no worse torture than being forced to consume them.
And maggots…. I’ve seen too much fly strike to think of them without revulsion.

Honestly the caterpillars aren't even noticeable most of the time. Getting a mouthful of frass is far worse

Probably ate and drank a few wasps and earwigs when we were making apple juice too.

 

[azurbanclucker]

No. I remain happily bugless, thank you. As far as I know. Can't speak to what the FDA allows in canned foods and sauces. .

You don't want to know. I'd wager every person in the US has consumed insects unintentionally due to processing contamination. Flour and cereal grains in particular, but also canning. There are regulations for "acceptable percentages" of insect matter based on volume and everything.

I'd feel comfortable making the same wager for most other countries as well, but I don't really know what they allow or not.

 

[Chicken_tiger_catt]

Yes. Chocolate-covered baby bumble bees, chocolate-covered crickets, and snails (escargot) cooked with butter and garlic.

Mealworms

 

[BigBlueHen53]

You don't want to know. I'd wager every person in the US has consumed insects unintentionally due to processing contamination. Flour and cereal grains in particular, but also canning. There are regulations for "acceptable percentages" of insect matter based on volume and everything.

I'd feel comfortable making the same wager for most other countries as well, but I don't really know what they allow or not.

Thank you, Azzie. This is one of those things I'm marginally aware of, in the deep, dark recesses of my brain, but prefer to pretend I'm not. Selective awareness?

Oh! Oh! I just remembered, if I'm honest --- oops, I'm going to put this in a spoiler, this is not for tender sensibilities. Read at your own risk.

have to admit I did sort of eat a bug once. It wasn't really intentional though. I'd gotten some nice fried chicken gizzards at a grocery for my lunch one day and was merrily nibbling on one as I drove down the highway. When suddenly I thought, that was an odd taste and texture as I bit into one. I looked at what was left of it and there was this bright green goo oozing out of it. The chicken's last meal, some kind of caterpillar, had not been removed before cooking. Somehow I managed not to wreck my car, nor to puke, so I survived that very close encounter of the gross kind, I'm happy to say. That was probably 30 years ago and I haven't eaten gizzards since.

 

[CombNWattles]

Honestly the caterpillars aren't even noticeable most of the time. Getting a mouthful of frass is far worse

Probably ate and drank a few wasps and earwigs when we were making apple juice too.

Wh..what is frass? do I even want to know?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Wh..what is frass? do I even want to know?

It's what cala-pitters leave behind.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Thank you, Azzie. This is one of those things I'm marginally aware of, in the deep, dark recesses of my brain, but prefer to pretend I'm not. Selective awareness?

Oh! Oh! I just remembered, if I'm honest --- oops, I'm going to put this in a spoiler, this is not for tender sensibilities. Read at your own risk.

@azurbanclucker - why on earth would you give that a reaction??? That was a horrible story!!!

 

[azurbanclucker]

@azurbanclucker - why on earth would you give that a reaction??? That was a horrible story!!!

Empathy response. I feel for ya.