THE PRACTICES OF ENTOMOPHAGY AROUND THE WORLD WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO NORTH-EAST INDIA: A PRIMITIVE PRACTICE THAT NEEDS TO BE SAFEGUARDED

Abstract

The indigenous people of many regions of the world have always relied on edible insects for food and livelihood. This is because edible insects possess valuable nutritional components that are comparable to conventional foods. This practice is very old and has become a crucial part of the pristine culture of the natives all over the world. However, this unique culture is day by day fading in some parts of the world by the force of ‘westernization’, modern culture, and ‘disgust factor’. In North-East India where the status of entomophagy is impressive and widely prevalent, the same threats are being perceived. A very few edible insects have been analysed nutritionally. This article discusses the prevalence of entomophagy around the world in general and focuses on the states of North East India particularly Assam and Arunachal Pradesh's edible insects and their nutritional analyses. The results show that edible insects are the potentially good and smart choice in the case of nutrients and can also potentially suffice for other conventional food products whenever they are not available or readily accessible. These results in particular will also help the public acknowledge edible insects, spread awareness, and thereby preserve this special knowledge of the locals. Therefore, there is an urgent need to analyse the rest of the edible insects of North East India recorded in literature, which will strengthen our knowledge of edible insects and sustain the culture to continuity.