We in school have learnt the categories of animals based on their food habits. Grass eating ones as herbivorous, the one eating flesh as carnivorous and the animals which eat both are categorised as omnivorous.
In case of human beings, vegetarians and non-vegetarians are the commonly known categorisation. Non-vegetarians are mostly seen as the one who eat chicken, fish, beef, pork and mutton. But there also exists another subcategory of groups who are insect eaters.
As per Greek terms, the practice of humans consuming insects is referred to as Entomophagy. Indeed, to most of the Indians consumption of insects or animals like dog are the practice in China and Japan but rarely do we know that, Indians too practice entomophagy. The tribes of Northeastern India, like Nagas of Nagaland, and Boods of Assam are some among the insect eating tribes. Nagas also consumes spider, silkworm and woodworms. They are either roasted or fried and eaten, whereas for Bodo’s their part of diet includes caterpillars, crickets, beetles and termites.
Today for the travellers of India, it has become an adventure and a part of trend to visit the tribal areas and consume such insects. But to the tribal population, the consumption of insects was then not a choice but the only option which was easily available. And today, the rearing of insects has continued same as fishing practiced in other parts of India.
The practice of eating insects is widely practised in the Northeast even today. It is a socio-cultural phenomenon born out of necessity and choice over centuries.