Ancient People Did Not Fish or Eat Grasshoppers During Famine for Very Practical Reasons
In feudal society, beyond the threat of war, the poor faced a terrifying “disaster”: famine. Historically, famine often arose from three main causes: drought, flooding, and crop-destroying insects.
Drought could render farmland barren, causing crop failures and leaving many in poverty without food to survive day to day. However, it is curious that despite the hunger, ancient people did not fish or eat grasshoppers.
Ancient people preferred to eat tree bark rather than fish or grasshoppers during famine.
It turns out that ancient people did not fish because famine was often accompanied by drought. Famine could last for several months or even years. The prolonged drought reduced water levels in ponds, lakes, rivers, and streams, leading to a scarcity of fish. Moreover, the population could not catch enough fish to feed an entire family, as the fish available became depleted due to overfishing.
On the other hand, famine often struck unexpectedly. In such circumstances, people would panic and be confused, leaving them little opportunity to stockpile food. Even if someone attempted to catch fish, they would lack the necessary tools and equipment, making it difficult to meet the consumption demands of many.
Furthermore, famine not only caused a shortage of food but also a lack of water. During droughts, fishing in rivers and lakes became very challenging. Even if people managed to catch fish, they needed to use the extremely limited water source for cooking. This exacerbated the already critical water scarcity.
Why Ancient People Did Not Eat Grasshoppers During Famine
Ancient people faced many difficulties when famine struck.
Grasshoppers are not an ideal choice for relieving hunger. Scientifically known as Caelifera, these insects are extremely harmful to crops. Grasshopper plagues occurred frequently, leading to crop failures and famine in ancient times.
This leads to the question: why did ancient people not eat grasshoppers during times of famine?
First, grasshoppers have a hard shell, so they require frying or roasting with spices to be edible. However, in ancient times, only the nobility had enough money to purchase oil and spices, which were very limited.
Second, grasshoppers could only provide a temporary food source and could not be relied upon long-term. Additionally, grasshoppers are not easy to catch. People suffering from famine often lacked sufficient nutrition, leading to deteriorating health, while catching grasshoppers requires significant physical effort. The number of grasshoppers caught each day was limited and insufficient to alleviate hunger.
Grasshoppers are pests that harm agricultural production.
Third, grasshoppers can carry germs and toxins harmful to humans. In ancient times, diseases often spread due to poor sanitation, and grasshoppers could be carriers or vectors of pathogens. Historical records, such as in the Ming Dynasty, document insect-borne diseases, noting the relationship between these outbreaks and the consumption of insects.
In reality, some grasshopper species may consume toxic plants, leading to the accumulation of toxins in their bodies. If people eat grasshoppers with high toxin levels, they risk poisoning or even life-threatening consequences.
Ancient people firmly refused to eat grasshoppers during famine.
With the analyses above, both fishing and eating grasshoppers were not effective or safe solutions during periods of famine in ancient times.
