Silkworms | The Eco-Friendly Naga Delicacy

Recycle and Reuse – nothing should go to waste. Bet you’ve heard that too many times already. Today, let us show you how to practice it and hopefully, it’ll leave an unforgettable taste in your mouth or at least in your imagination for now 🙂 So yes where is this leading to? A recipe of one of Nagaland’s many delicacies – the silkworm.

Since it’s one of our favourites, we did a little bit of research to find out why should we even eat them – does it have any benefits other than the fact that it’s super delicious? We know some of you may go eww.eww . .Eeeeoow!! But check out the cool facts we dug up – it may probably change your mind.

Photo: The Silkworm in it’s Cocoon

From a story that dates back to 5000 years ago, the Chinese Empress Xi Ling-Sh apparently discovered silk when a cocoon fell into her hot cup of tea. As the cocoon unraveled , she realized that it can make exquisite cloth – as her fingers ran through the fine threads. This is how silk came into existence.

But there was one problem. After metamorphosis, when silkmoths try to escape the cocoon, they bore a hole through the cocoon wall – ruining the thread in that process. Thus factory workers would drop the cocoons in hot water before the moths can leave. So then, what did these people do with so much of boiled silkworm? They ate them.

Silkworms in a bowl. Ready to be cooked!

It is indeed environmentally friendly to eat the silkworms as nothing goes to waste! Silkworms are also a rich source of high quality protein.It has also been explored as a source of protein for humans in space through various research studies.

Healthy, delicious and organic. So go on. Try something new for a change – brace yourself (though) if this is your first time trying an insect – it is super juicy 🙂