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Bugs have been consumed as a meals supply for hundreds of years in communities worldwide. In Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district, pink weaver ants are used to make a chutney or a watery semi-solid paste referred to as “Kai Chutney.” This chutney is famend within the area for its medicinal and dietary properties. On January 2, 2024, this distinctive savoury chutney was awarded the geographical indication (GI) tag.
Crimson weaver ants, scientifically referred to as Oecophylla smaragdina, are notable for his or her extraordinarily painful sting, able to inflicting blisters on the pores and skin. These ants are generally discovered within the forests of Mayurbhanj, together with the Similipal forests, which represent Asia’s second-largest biosphere.
Tons of of tribal households within the district make a residing by amassing and promoting these bugs and chutneys. The ants and their eggs are gathered from their nests and cleaned earlier than getting used. The chutney is made by grinding a mix of salt, ginger, garlic, and chilies. Related pink ant chutneys will also be present in different japanese states equivalent to Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.
Along with its culinary enchantment, pink ant chutney is famend for its potential well being advantages. The chutney is believed to be a very good supply of vitamins like protein, calcium, zinc, vitamin B-12, iron, magnesium, potassium, and so on. This distinctive chutney can also be treasured for its function within the improvement of a wholesome mind and nervous system, probably aiding within the administration of circumstances like despair, fatigue, and reminiscence loss.
Primarily based on varied analysis and research, the combination of bugs into our diets as a protein supply has been proposed as a possible resolution to environmental challenges. Bugs may substitute conventional animal protein sources like cows, that are recognized for his or her important emissions of heat-trapping gases like carbon dioxide and methane. This progressive strategy has the capability to mitigate environmental influence and foster a extra sustainable meals system.