Meet Aly Moore, Entomophagist & Owner of Bugible
When most people see bugs in their house, they recoil in fear and disgust. Aly on the other hand, eats them. Aly Moore is the founder Bugible, a blog about the world of edible insects, and EatBugsEvents.com, a curation of unique events around edible insects like wine/bug pairings and bug dinners. Since 2012, Aly has made it her mission to open minds and mouths to a healthier, yummier, more diverse future.
When asked how the Simi Valley native got her start in bugs, she joked, “The Lion King movie was when I knew, the moment I got hungry during the Timon and Pumba scene.” What really catapulted her into the wild world of bugs was when she ate her first bug in Mexico while studying abroad for her public health course at Yale University. “We would eat tacos from these stands open late. My favorites were chapulines tacos, or grasshopper tacos,” she shared.
She soon discovered the burgeoning movement of “entomophagy” (the fancy word for eating bugs) and noticed there were few resources in the states for those looking to learn more. Thus, bugible.com came to life to educate herself and others on the topic of edible bugs. “Cricket farmers would send me samples all the time because who else out there is a bug blogger?” she chuckled, “Growing that family turned into an obsession and a life.”
Now, Aly tries to add at least one bug ingredient to every meal. “It was not hard for me to start consuming bugs because I’ve always been pretty adventurous,” she admits, “but I can see how the concept is initially a challenge for most cultures not accustomed to the idea.” Very few Western societies are familiar with entomophagy but Aly pointed out that we’ve been eating bugs all along and haven’t known it. “Processed foods like Peanut Butter, Ketchup, and chocolate bars are allowed to contain certain levels of bugs,” she shared.
So at this point, you may be asking yourself, “Why bugs?” Aly’s response to that, “Why not?” Insects are an underutilized alternative protein source that offer promising options for sustainable, nutritious, and delicious food. Insects take 12x less food than cows, produce 100x less CO2, take 1000x less water to raise, and can be grown anywhere. Bugs aren’t the only solution to our global food challenges but they’re a big part of it.
To sum it up:
Insects are a highly sustainable food source. They require fewer resources to raise than other protein sources and produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions.
Excellent sources of macro and micro nutrients. They have high levels of iron, zinc, and calcium because we consume the exoskeleton and all.
Insects have been consumed by humans for thousands of years throughout history and cultures. Over two billion people around the world eat insects as part of their diets
Another question I’m sure you’re asking at this point is, “If they’re so good for us and the environment, why aren’t we eating them?” Well, the answer to that is simple, bugs haven’t had the best PR in the past. “Look at sushi– less than 40 years ago the U.S. did not relish the idea of consuming raw fish, many even considered it barbaric,” Aly expressed, “now, thanks to education and California Rolls, it’s a thriving industry.”
Another key factor is just framing insects as edible. Social, cultural, market, linguistic, and other forces work together to categorize items as “eat me” or “don’t eat me.” You don’t eat pets… you eat livestock. We need similar nomenclature and education around insects. Lastly, fear/anxiety have a similar relationship to curiosity. By making insects interesting – by adding in fun educational elements, Bugible strives to transform fear of the unknown into excitement for the unexplored.
If it wasn’t bugs, Aly admits that she’d be into something else equally as weird. “I really, really enjoy making people comfortable with change and challenging people’s assumptions about the way things are because that’s where all the magic happens,” she shared. “It’s fun to make people a little uncomfortable at first but it’s even more fun to make someone uncomfortable with something that’s good for them that they’re going to love.“
If you’d like to learn more about eating bugs, Aly has a wealth of knowledge on her blog at www.bugible.com. Stay tuned for more website updates that focus on really easy bug recipes and user-friendly content. You can also follow her on Instagram at @bugible.
This post has been a collaboration between Strange Los Angeles and The Making Waves Project for 13 Days Of Strange – a socially distanced, Halloween photo series spotlighting spooky and strange Angelinos. Visit our homepage for more.
Written by Brittany Rice
Photography by Robiee Ziegler
