Why can the same food seem familiar to one person and unthinkable to another?
A food’s meaning depends partly on experience: who serves it, how it is prepared, and whether it has been eaten before. Research on edible insects in Thai and Dutch settings offers a way into these questions. The participants’ experiences matter more than a blanket claim that everyone in a country shares one attitude.
Questions you could explore
- How would you separate unfamiliarity with an ingredient from dislike of a particular preparation?
Start reading
- FAO AGRIS / Wageningen University thesis recordEating insects: consumer acceptance of a culturally inappropriate food
The thesis abstract compares experiences of eating insects in Thai and Dutch settings. It is a starting point, not the full study or a description of everyone in either country.
Ready to try your ideas aloud?
Your topic carries over. Record up to 2½ minutes, depending on your plan.