Insects as food in China

Following a brief introduction on the worldwide role of insects as human food, consideration is given to insects as foods in both ancient and present‐day China. The most important food insects in China are the ant species Polyrhachis vicina Rogen which are consumed in various forms such as dried bodies, ant powder and ant wine, and the honey bee (Apis cerana Fabr. and Apis mullifera L.) and its products. It has been estimated that there are some 6.3 million hives in China with 150 thousand tons of bee products produced annually. Other insects such as the larvae of Bombycis and the bamboo weevil are also consumed but only in restricted areas of the country. Finally consideration is given to the future of insects as a food source in China. More research is urged so that they can be further identified for food or medical use and commercially exploited by controlled production but without disturbing the natural balance.

Key words:

• Edible insects
• entomophagy
• food insects
• food in China