'We've been eating stink bugs for over 100 years'
5 days ago
- #traditional knowledge
- #sustainable harvesting
- #insects as food
- Udonga montana, a bamboo-feeding stink bug, is locally called thangnang in Mizoram, India.
- The Mizo community harvests thangnang during mautam, the mass flowering of bamboo, using traditional methods.
- Harvesting involves shaking bamboo branches to collect bugs in nets, followed by processing into oil and protein paste.
- Thangnang oil is sold in local markets and is believed to have anti-ageing properties.
- The Mizo's sustainable practices highlight the potential of traditional ecological knowledge in food security and nutrition.
- Insects like thangnang are more nutritious than the plants they consume, offering a sustainable protein source.
- Indigenous communities in India view pests as part of a sustainable, seasonal diet, emphasizing coexistence.