Yes to grasshoppers, no to ants: How does Korea decide which bugs can be grub?
Grasshoppers have made it onto South Korea’s dinner tables, at least legally. Ants and cockroaches, however, remain off the menu. On Tuesday, South Korea approved Parapodisma mikado, a species of grasshopper, as a food ingredient, expanding the country’s short list of edible insects. The decision has renewed attention on a question that may sound simple but is tightly regulated: Why are some insects approved as food while others are not? The answer lies in a regulatory system that requires years