Yunnan people are really fierce, they put ants into the pot! Bet you dare not eat it

Most people can accept adding lemon juice, ketchup, sesame paste, etc. to dishes to enhance flavor, but what about adding ants? Some people may be "yue"...

But you know what, some ants are really edible. Not only are they nutritious, they can also bring a unique flavor to dishes, such as the sour ant hotpot that is hotly discussed on many social platforms. This is a way of eating from Yunnan, and those who have eaten it say it is very unique!

Image source: A social platform

In this article, we will learn about this strange ingredient and what is so special about it.

What! Ants can be eaten?

In most people's minds, ants are not part of the dinner plate. At most, they come to the table to find food, then take some things and quietly slip away. To say that ants can be eaten is really subversive.

In fact, some ants are edible and have a variety of flavors. A group of scientists from San Diego State University reported a study at the American Chemical Society meeting. They evaluated four edible ants (Chikatana ants, common black ants, spiny ants and weaver ants) and found that different ants have different flavors, such as sour, nutty, sweet and caramel, and taste better than expected.

According to available data, there are more than 15,000 ant species in the world, and about 2,000 species are documented in my country. Among these ants, there are about 10 species that can be used for edible and medicinal value research, including the black ant, the double-toothed ant, the yellow ant, the yellow ant, the Japanese carpenter ant (big black ant), the northern ant, the horizontal striped ant, the giant leaf-cutter ant, the red-tailed ant, and the double-bone pavement ant.

The most studied of these are black ants, while the yellow ants are used in the famous Yunnan sour ant hotpot.

Black ants are mainly found in Guangxi, Yunnan, and the Greater and Lesser Khingan Mountains. They are black in color, with a worker body length of about 6 mm and two clear white stripes on the tail. They have a pungent sour smell and a fresh fragrance. Currently, many research papers have shown that the black polyrhachis ant is not only edible, but also has certain medicinal value. It also appears in dishes. For example, a university restaurant in Fuyang, Anhui, once launched a dark dish - steamed eggs with ants.

Image source: A social platform

The yellow ant, also known as the red tree ant, is called the sour ant by the people of Yunnan. It likes to build nests on broad-leaved trees. A group of yellow ants can have several nests, up to tens of thousands, which is a considerable number. It is rusty red or orange-red in appearance. Because it has a transparent small yellow ball that stores acid under its abdomen, it is named "sour ant".

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Sour ants taste sour and spicy, and can be used as a pure natural seasoning and flavor enhancer after processing. For example, the sour ant hot pot in Yunnan perfectly combines sour ants in the hot pot to become a sour soup hot pot, which tastes sour and spicy and has a unique flavor.

In addition, there are many other dishes made with ants, such as black ant and white fungus soup, ant stewed with tofu, cold sour ants, scrambled eggs with sour ants, fried sour ants, and stir-fried ant eggs (ant eggs are almost all individuals in the yellow ant nest except adult ants, including eggs, larvae and pupae of yellow ants, among which ant larvae are the main ones), etc.

The nutritional value far exceeds that of poultry!

Not only does it have a unique taste, but many of its nutritional components far exceed those of the livestock and poultry meat we usually eat. Regarding the nutritional value of ants, most of the current literature data is data after natural sun-drying. However, the ant food we usually buy is almost all ants that have been naturally dried.

1

The protein content far exceeds that of livestock and poultry meat

Most studies show that the protein content of processed ants is 42% to 67%. Some literature compares the protein content of the black polyrhizome ants and red ants (both of which are naturally dried, with moisture contents of 8.6% and 7.3% respectively) with the meat we usually eat.

The results showed that the protein content of processed ants far exceeded the meat we usually eat, almost three times that of beef and mutton, and nearly five times that of eggs. In addition, ant protein contains a variety of amino acids, including a full range of essential amino acids, and the human body has a good absorption and utilization rate. If it can be eaten together with cereals, eggs, milk, etc., it can complement the protein and the absorption and utilization effect will be better.

Source: Author's drawing

2

Amazing zinc content

Data shows that ants contain 31 minerals, including selenium, manganese, zinc, iron, calcium, and copper, among which zinc and calcium are relatively high, especially zinc.

The zinc content of ants is generally 12-19.8 mg/100 g, the zinc content of Yunnan yellow ants is about 20 mg/100 g, and the zinc content of black polyrhizoid ants is as high as 23-28.5 mg/100 g. This content is much higher than the zinc-rich foods we often eat, such as soybeans and animal livers, which is nearly 6 times higher than them.

Zinc is an essential trace element for the human body and is often praised as the "flower of life" and the "source of intelligence". Sufficient zinc intake in the diet helps maintain the body's immunity and normal male fertility, promotes wound healing, prevents respiratory infections, and protects skin health. Zinc is widely distributed in the brain and promotes the structure and function of the brain. Severe zinc deficiency can cause cerebellar dysfunction and impair behavioral and emotional responses.

3

Ultra-low cholesterol

Nowadays, many people are told that they have "abnormal blood lipids" during physical examinations, which makes them "moderate" in their diet, and even afraid to eat meat for fear of excessive cholesterol. However, the cholesterol content of ants is not high, so those who can accept it may want to try it.

A study tested the cholesterol content of different ants from different origins. Four species of Polyrhachis ants and three species of red ants were dried and then tested. The results showed that the cholesterol content of the Polyrhachis ants was 1.7~2.4 mg/100 g, and that of the red ants was 3.8~5.3 mg/100 g. These are much lower than the cholesterol content in the pork, beef, and mutton we usually eat, and are almost 1/50~1/30 of theirs.

So, if you had the chance, would you muster up the courage to taste ants?

Tips:

Don't catch ants and eat them yourself, be careful of "poisoning". Some ant species, such as fire ants, black ants, and tail-raising ants, contain malt myxins and high amounts of formic acid (more than 50%), which can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, blurred vision, skin allergies and other poisoning reactions after eating. Even edible ants need to be processed strictly according to food and drug processes before they can be eaten safely.

References

[1]https://www.acs.org/pressroom/presspacs/2024/march/the-many-flavors-of-edible-ants.html

[2] Liu Gaoqiang, Wang Xiaoling, Wei Meicai, et al. Research and development of ant food[J]. Food Science and Technology, 2006, (09): 155-157.

[3] Chen Di, Li Dan, Wang Wenfan, et al. Analysis of nutritional components of common ants in Xiaoxing'anling area[J]. Chinese Agricultural Science Bulletin, 2011, 27(19):79-82.

[4] Yang Yuexin. Chinese Food Composition Table 6th Edition Volume 2[M]. Peking University Medical Press, 2019

[5] Zhang Huiping, Li Zhengyu, Li Guobao, et al. Trace elements and nutritional components in Yunnan yellow ants are worth developing [J]. Journal of Yunnan Normal University (Natural Science Edition), 2002, (01): 39-42.

[6] Ma Chunjuan, Shan Boyu, Lu Fang, et al. Determination of cholesterol content in ants by HPLC[J]. Journal of Changchun Normal University, 2018, 37(08):73-76.

Planning and production

Author: Xue Qingxin, registered nutritionist

Reviewer: Zhang Na, Associate Researcher, Doctoral Supervisor, Peking University School of Public Health