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nemo44x

My culture doesn’t consume insects and we don’t intend to start.

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Then don't eat them.

But don't forbid other people (in Italy) to be able to eat them.

"I don't want to do X, so nobody should be allowed to do X". It drives me bonkers.

Why don’t you intend to? Care to explain your rationale?

It's gross. That's it. Why should I, or anyone else, have to explain personal food choices to you? If finding insect-eating to be repulsive is embedded in a culture, who are you to question it or demand change/an explanation?

I didn't demand anything, but merely ask if you'd like to provide a little more detail. I see that you're not open for intellectual discussions that question your beliefs though, so I guess we can cut this thread here.

I don't understand this need to push eating insects onto people. The "intellectual" point of view makes it even funnier. Food is not just the sum of proteins and carbohydrates. It is wrong on so many levels to suggest that because insects are protein rich then they must be good. I was honestly shocked by Americans not being aware of the quality of their food - it's horrible. Even in Whole Foods, or more expensive supermarkets, most of the food products are just processed crap that comes in a box. Even the quality of vegetables and fruit is questionable, the bacon is by default sweetened with sugar. Every single European or far Easterner that comes to the US will gain 10kg without chaing their dietary habits. The reason is not too much food, or eating fast food, it is because the quality of food in the US is dreadful, all the way from the seed until the plate. So maybe you want to eat insects, but we do not, and there is an absolute consensus about that. Hopefully one day Americans will learn what food is really supposed to be like, and start fixing their country (and health).

Jokes a bit on you, though, for I'm no American, and I certainly value good cuisine. But reflexively excluding insects from your meal options just because they "look scary" is just... not that smart. I suppose you eat shrimps just as fine as anyone, don't you?

Of course it's smart. I reflexively exclude dog from my diet too. Dung beetles and crickets will be way down that list.

I never said that you were American, and I didn't say insects looked scary. Insisting on pushing insects for food, because of the fear that a regular western diet is not sustainable, or eco-friendly, is not smart, and is actually scary. My critique of Americanism does not only target America, but the global American culture, which is essentially California or Bay culture, which most of this bord adheres to. I am shocked by how many people on this website disregards the fact that a total and absolute majority of Italians (and all Europeans and many others) are against allowing insect for human consumption, and do not want moral lectures from people whose food is literally criminal, highly processed, completely unregulated and very unhealthy. Again, food is not just a sum of calories and proteins, there are no magic pills which regulate your total daily nutritional intake.

Do you eat meat? Not trying to say anything, but I don't think there is a difference between eating a cow and eating a grasshopper.

Now if you are 100% vegan, I can accept that

My rationale is my culture doesn't do it so I don't do it as it would be an inauthentic life for me and disrespectful to those who valiantly carried my culture to the point where I get to exist. I'm connected to my culture's history and traditions due to my respect for my ancestors. You may be a rootless wanderer from a broken culture that has been made subservient to other forces and I pity you for it if so, but please do not assume we all are or want to be.

but you do eat spaghetti allo scoglio, huh?

Ha, that's nothing. I've been to Italy and there are places where they eat snails, horses and sea urchins, things most Americans would be disgusted by.

Not to forget also that the island that invented delicious maggoty cheese aka "casu marzu" also belongs to Italy.

HAHA and I've been to countries where they eat the most disgusting and unnatural two all beef patties special sauce lettuce cheese and washed down with a sugar liquid of PH2 rotting teeth and guts! Oh my god it was aweful!!!

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