Photo Credit: Umberto Diecinove

“‘What does an edible insect taste like?’ That’s like saying, ‘What does meat taste like?’ But the taste of chicken compared to lamb is very, very different,” said Mackenzie Wade, a doctoral candidate in anthropology and co-founder of UCSB’s Edible Insect Initiative (EII). “Chefs are showing the culinary diversity of insects.” 

Wade and EII co-founder Alex Carlin, an environmental studies major, have organized the Edible Insect Art Show (April 1–5) to be held in the GlassBox Gallery, featuring artwork related to insects as food, a discussion panel and tasting opportunities.