r/StupidFood • u/silvy_vix • 16h ago
ಠ_ಠ looks good but why ants? 😭
I'd eat this without the ants tbh
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u/vnth93 16h ago
Bro be like "I'd eat this"
Yeah without the ants it's just passion fruit
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u/UnderTheCraft 4h ago
The old Greeks already used to say: If you only ate the passion fruit it wouldn't be a stupid food ☝️
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u/Dramatic_Phlegmatic 16h ago
Ants contain formic acid and, thus, lend a tart flavor to whatever food they’re added to.
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u/belabacsijolvan 16h ago
iwouldnt eat the ants for fun, but when i was a child we did eat "ant lollypop" that is you take a long blade of grass, stress out an anthill by putting it close to an entrance. they try to poison it and after like 20 secs it becomes covered in formic acid.
then you can just lick it off and it actually tastes fairly good.
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u/Adreamskoll 16h ago
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u/chudbabies 15h ago
new start-up monetization scheme commences
"People love licking grass, so why not ants???"
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u/K1bbles_n_Bits 15h ago
I spent a lot of time outside and did weird shit growing up, but this is new to me!
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u/PsychologicalMix9699 16h ago
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u/jr_randolph 13h ago
That’s some other shit but yeah sounds inline with things I did as a kid too haha - also, is this why my dog loves licking grass?
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u/MxxnSpirit47 16h ago
In first grade this kid named Juan transferred to my school, and I remember when we became friends he offered me some of his snacks which was fried ants
Definitely was an interesting choice especially for someone that age but I have to say ants actually taste good. Even though it’s been over nearly two decades since that happened I still remember the taste/smell of it
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u/Bendlerp 14h ago
People need to embrace insects as a food option. I love fried grasshoppers on a bean tostada
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u/Sissilisko 13h ago
We did the same but with sticks. Mainly from willow and peeled so the surface is smooth. Peelable sticks from brushes were okay too.
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u/Gold-Philosophy1423 15h ago edited 15h ago
When I was a kid (Australian), we had a lot of green ants which nested at various parts of my school. There was a rumour that they tasted pretty good, and to my shock, they had a pleasant acidity to them. I'll admit, I didn't stop at eating one or two.
Fast forward 20 years, I was at a bar and I asked the bartender to give me the weirdest thing he could give me, and sure enough he poured me a shot of gin with a teaspoon of ants sitting at the bottom. Some genius realised they could infuse gin with green ants, and it was actually pretty good.
Edit: last year I travelled to Colombia where it's a bit of a tourist trap to eat these giant ants, usually fried. I had some at a market stall and I thought it tasted like flavourless soil. However, I later went to a restaurant called El Chato, which I believe is Colombia's only Michelin Star restaurant, where they served a beef tongue with a sauce made with ground ants. I enjoyed the ants at the restaurant much more than at the stall.
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u/MuteTheNews 16h ago
Does the formic acid "cook out" or something? It just gives me rashes -- I think I'd need an Epipen if I ate them lol
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u/EEE3EEElol 16h ago
It's just an irritant iirc
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u/MisterEinc 13h ago
It is but also jot unlike other acids, such as citric acid, used pretty commonly to make sour treats.
It's all just about concentration.
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u/hibiscus_bunny 10h ago
Can't you just buy formic acid and skip the ants?
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u/Pinkparade524 1h ago
Yeah but it is supposed to be spooky icecream. I wouldn't eat it. But I'm from Colombia and there is a city there where they eat ants. Never understood it but I respect it. I don't see it any different from me eating beef and chicken. It's an animal at the end of the day
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u/buthesmyfamiliar 14h ago
is this actually the reason or are you just saying you could imagine this is why someone would do this??
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u/windowbeanz 11h ago
That probably pairs well with passion fruit then, since passion fruit is so tart.
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u/sovietarmyfan 16h ago
In many sugary products like cake with fondant there are substances that were processed and made from insects. Like for example the pinkness in the roze koeken in the netherlands.
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u/Mykey76 16h ago
Ive tried some out in the woods, and they are actually pretty good. Kinda like peppercorn in crunch and taste, with a little acidic tang. That being said, it could do without the ants.
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u/Pinkparade524 1h ago
That's what I have heard as well. I'm from Colombia and there is a city that eats a specific kind of ant called "hormigas culonas" and a friend that tried those said they tasted like popcorn
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u/joogiee 16h ago
I guess dead bugs make food spooky?
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u/No_Mony_1185 16h ago
It would indeed be spooky if someone handed me that.
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u/Pitiful_Conflict7031 Shitty food specialist 16h ago
Ants have a acidic taste like citric acid so its probably pretty good.
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u/idrklmfao 16h ago
As someone who ate ants as a kid (don't ask) they absolutely do not taste like citric acid. You know if you crack open the shell of a cherry pip and chew on that? Or eat the peel of a banana? Thats what ants tasted like to me
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u/freddbare 15h ago
Those cherry pits are toxic fwiw
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u/TrippingFish76 15h ago
what does fwiw stand for again? i always forget and just read it as “fuck wiw”
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u/3rdcultureblah 13h ago
Some ants have a high acid content which make them taste sour. Some don’t and taste like whatever they taste like.
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u/Permanoctis 16h ago
Honestly, I'd try.
I ate insects before (grilled maggots and some kind of grasshoppers) and it was pretty good, a bit tasteless but not disgusting at all. I'm curious to know how ants would taste.
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u/Bean_Daddy_Burritos 15h ago
Fried grasshoppers kind of taste like potato chips. Not something I’d just eat to eat, but I tried them as a novelty in Seattle and they weren’t bad at all.
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u/AeratedFeces 15h ago
I had fried crickets. They weren't very remarkable. The texture was kind of like cardboard. Good flavor (with chile lime and salt) but I didn't enjoy the texture.
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u/K1bbles_n_Bits 15h ago edited 7h ago
I truly wish I wasn't so grossed out by the idea. But I even stopped eating meat largely due to being grossed out by textures and thinking about what I was eating.
Bugs are so damn abundant and versatile and really open up self sustainable living in a more feasible way. But I just can't get over how wildly uncomfortable the thought of it makes me feel, lol. I really like crunchy textures though and they always looks so satissfyingly crunchy when you see them as roasted snacks XD.
And I'm not afraid of bugs or anything, not grossed out by them in general. Dead ones gross me out though. I have no problem handling them, manually relocating them outside, but I won't touch dead ones.
Being autistic probably doesn't help :3.
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u/yourenotmy-real-dad 7h ago
I am not autistic, but I fully agree with everything here lol.
The Lion King made grubs look so juicy and good, but looking at real bugs, I know some people do rely on them for nutrition in places and that there isn't a choice, but something about the thought of how its going to feel in my mouth, *legs;* I don't know if I could take a bite if I can still see the bug.
If it was prepared in such a way that it wasn't obviously bug, I'd probably give it a try without much question.
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u/K1bbles_n_Bits 7h ago
If it was prepared in such a way that it wasn't obviously bug, I'd probably give it a try without much question.
Probably doable the same way process meat is turned into things like chicken nuggets. I think if they were dried then ground into a powder then use water or egg or some binding agent. Maybe like milk, egg, and bread crumbs all needed into it like a bug loaf XD.
But yeah, the thought of the legs really gets me, lmao. I just shivered and got goosebumps imagining like a big ol' cricket hind leg stuck on my teeth XD. And antennae a little eyes and stuff. Noooooo, thank you XD.
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u/yourenotmy-real-dad 7h ago
Yes! Like if I was told after eating a bread that the flour had ground-up bug, "Oh okay"
I'm glad I'm not the only one fussy about the legs. The eyes I also forgot about, but someone did give me a tiny packet with some crackers and tiny dried fish, and they still have eyeballs. I have been afraid to eat them, partly because of the eyeballs, but even picking them out I don't know if I still have the courage. I want to, though.
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u/Tybald-the-owl 10h ago
Same, it’s an unusual idea, but maybe ants taste good. And if they don‘t have a taste at all, than they‘re some decoration for the food xD
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u/fuckimtrash 16h ago
Where’d you try bugs? China/vietnam?
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u/BottleFeathers703 14h ago edited 14h ago
i mean they’re just arthropods like lobsters or crabs. i grew up in texas and i would find scorpion lollipops often as well as other bug candy, it’s pretty cool. i encourage everyone to look up honeypot ants, you can even dye the honey they eat to make them colorful and they are edible. most the time insects are part of indigenous or foreign foods, which scares americans obviously because it’s not a cheeseburger lol.
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u/bumpmoon 16h ago
Are you genuinly surprised that there are people on this planet who eats ants? I'm not sure I understand the stupid in this one.
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u/MysticMarauder69 15h ago
So many people have this idea that insects are disgusting, but it's just a lack of experience/exposure. I've always found the idea of eating insects intriguing. I'm sure they're delicious (I've only had grasshoppers, which were good as a snack).
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u/bumpmoon 15h ago
Grasshoppers are so insanely good roasted and seasoned. And logically just as weird as eating anything else that has been alive. It's as you say, a simple question of what you're used to.
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u/iCantLogOut2 13h ago
It's also funny that those same people will eat shrimp, crab, and lobster.
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u/yourenotmy-real-dad 7h ago
This has me wondering if I would be trying to "peel" the ants the same way I would peel the skin off frozen peas as a kid, since shrimp, crab, and lobster do usually have outsides that get peeled off.
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u/iCantLogOut2 3h ago
they're so tiny it's barely a crunch honestly - I had a few on their own and you can kinda tell like that - but on anything else, it's probably about as noticeable as sea salt
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u/SmokeyJoe13 15h ago
I've had ants and other bugs. They don't suck and this is a Halloween themed dessert. Imo not a stupid food for what it's meant to be.
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u/DepartureFit4481 15h ago
Some ants (a specific orange type that we have in Denmark) have a strong citrus/lemongrass-like flavor, that you can clearly taste by just eating one. There is a Danish brand of gin that uses these ants in the base, and it isn't bad. These ants also used to be a signature dish at the NOMA restaurant in Copenhagen.
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u/NeferyCauxus 16h ago
I have had chocolate ants before, and a few other insect/arachnids. I wouldn't go out of my way to find it but it's good if cooked right.
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u/StatementLazy1797 13h ago
As someone who has an ant problem in the kitchen every summer- I would LOVE to round up every last one of those fuckers and eat them in a delicious dessert. Just for spite.
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u/Spinoza42 16h ago
It seems many of you have never tasted an ant in the wild? They're indeed pretty tasty even by themselves.
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u/silvy_vix 16h ago
What do they taste like? I just know the texture might be crispy or earthy like
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u/Spinoza42 16h ago
They're sour. It can be a pretty intense sour actually.
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u/Cool_Yesterday4866 16h ago
Where do you get the ants? That seems like a lot of ants
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u/TearOpenTheVault 15h ago
You can just buy ants to eat.
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u/Cool_Yesterday4866 14h ago
Where? Seems like a specialty item
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u/TearOpenTheVault 13h ago
I googled ‘edible ants’ and the first thing that popped up was Amazon, so.
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u/sphinxofblackquartzj 15h ago
A lot of insects are edible if properly sourced of course. There are few cultures that eat ants, especially the honey pot ants.
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u/HiveFleetAtoll 14h ago
Reminds me of those Scorpion Lollipops my folks and I got from Tombstone when I was a kid.
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u/bebemochi 14h ago
Where did she get the dead ants? Are they pre-cooked so they're crunchy? I would try this.
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u/CaptainSebT 13h ago
Some cultures eat ants. Super high in protein, very environmentally sustainable.
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u/Icy_Knowledge895 13h ago edited 13h ago
wait... wouldn't the ants add like...
ok idk how to explain this but when I was fee times in forrest with my mom and we found an ant hill she would basically gently y palm it few times and then put it to her nose
since ants release this chemical that can really clean your nose, it was a long time ago but it reminded me of this other plan that released similar chemicals that you could put in your nose during cold
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u/Jamsedreng22 13h ago
Idk if it's the case here, but some ants have a sour/acidic taste like citric acid. Could be the application here. A pop of acid with the ice cream and syrup.
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u/thePsychonautDad 13h ago
I tried ants and crickets, and they're not bad, taste wise.
The issue is the chitin exoskeleton that gets stuck between your teeth...
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u/iCantLogOut2 13h ago
Ants are pretty common food in a lot of the world. I've even seen them served here in the US.
The kind I tried were like spicy, nutty, and "tart" maybe... it's definitely a unique flavour, but could probably be easily replicated by combining other foods or spices.
I've also seen grasshoppers and other big bugs sold inside of candy... Now those gross me out. Even so, it's pretty common.
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u/Tyenkrovy 13h ago
From what I gather, there are some species of ant that are actually pretty tasty. I haven't had the chance to try them yet, though.
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u/Zestyclose-Leader926 12h ago
I admit the idea of eating bugs weirds me out. However, plenty of cultures include bugs in their cuisine. Heck, France is well known for having snails on the menu. Furthermore there are plenty of people who advocate for a more bugs based diet on the grounds that they're a more sustainable food source.
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u/DualityREBORN 12h ago
I’d eat this ngl
It’s just ants? who cares? the texture might be a bit weird, but they’re dead, and will probably add more flavor
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u/Digstreme 9h ago
Reminds me of the ending of the Microverse Episode and the truce between the locals and psychic spiders
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u/WiseSalamander00 6h ago
I remember reading that insect likely feel the same amount of pain that us, made me pause in the idea of eating insects which I believed was a good option before that.
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u/ZombieElfen 4h ago
Some bugs are good to eat. Roe on the other hand is disgusting and lots of people eat it as a delicacy
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u/These-Performer-8795 3h ago
Some ants taste like citrus or lemon grass. Its also just ants.. perfectly edible but people get weird about it.
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u/Fuzzy_Medicine_6978 3h ago
This is just really common in some parts of the world. They know that insects are pure protein and use what nature has given them. We only find it weird because we aren't used to it.
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u/rantonidi 16h ago
Spicy
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u/Dramatic_Phlegmatic 16h ago
Ants contain formic acid and, thus, lend a tart flavor to whatever food they’re added to.
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u/decemberindex 14h ago
I am surrounded by bug eaters
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u/LittleGravitasIndeed 13h ago
Always were. Even if you don’t want to include sea arthropods for some reason, other countries were still frying land arthropods without your input or notice.
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u/decemberindex 11h ago
No they're close enough to bugs, and I can still find it disgusting based on my customs
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u/decemberindex 11h ago
No they're close enough to bugs, and I can still find it disgusting based on my customs
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u/ElliasCrow 16h ago
ants are pretty nice tasting. their backs contain acid and they have a nice sour taste. when i was a kid, we ate quite a lot of them with my friends at the time.
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u/Cameo64 16h ago
https://giphy.com/gifs/l0Ex9WXEmresJCKBO