Eating insects has not been incorporated into Western diets or foodways, thus those who do eat insects are seen to exist in opposition of Western culture. Food is a major element in cultural identity, and what people choose to eat or find appetizing can therefore be tied to how they are perceived by other groups.
Western foodways are viewed to be pure and proper consumption behaviors, while eating insects is thought to be primitive (Kosonen 2022). Kosonen (2022) delves into the discourse around insects in Western culture, which often connects insect eating to the hunter-gather stage of human evolution, so that eating insects now would revert consumers to that primitive time. Jumping forward to Medieval times, and accelerated global urbanization, insects came to be associated with death and disease after being found eating decomposing bodies (Kosonen 2022). By the early twenty first century, insects were associated with crop failure and the spread of infectious diseases like malaria and typhoid (Kosonen 2022). The aversion towards insects in Western Culture also produced symbolic meaning. Insects have been utilized to ‘other’ groups of people; various identities referred to as specific types of insects that incite fear in Western society, like cockroaches. The terms were used in a derogatory manner and meant to dehumanize the people. The dehumanization of these ethnic groups validated racism, xenophobia, and genocide (Kosonen 2022). Today’s rejection of eating insects is therefore not only connected to disgust and disease, but to the racist and xenophobic symbolism.
Pork, beef and poultry are three staples in Western diets that are considered to be the proper forms of protein. Unlike eating insects, which is viewed to be hazardous, meat from large livestock is thought to be the height of human health. (Chiles and Fitzgerald 2018; Heinz and Lee 1998). Consuming large livestock has been fetishized and aligns with Western ideas of an apparently ‘natural’ order of the world, with humans superior to other animals. (Heinz and Lee 1998).
People who diverge from the conventional Western diet and hygiene standard frequently encounter marginalization. Furthermore, unfamiliarity with food choices can generate apprehension in Westerners, making it difficult for them to embrace diets that differ from their own (La Barbera et al. 2018). Hartmann et al. (2015) and James (1997) also compare Western food to what is considered “foreign” food. Foreign food in both papers is anything that is not consumed in Western culture, including insects. Westerners believe they have the authority to determine what is to be considered “foreign,” and find such foodways as exotic. The people who do not choose to eat like Westerners are othered. Insects are consumed as a food source in numerous regions of Africa, Asia, and Latin America, cultures that are viewed as exotic from the standpoint of Westerners. Eating insects further contributes to this cultural divide. For instance, in Zambia, eating insects is widely considered a cost-effective and easily accessible protein alternative. Unlike Western culture, Zambian residents have fewer cognitive barriers to consuming insects since insects are included in numerous traditional Zambian dishes (Stull et al 2018).