Traditional entomophagy in Japan
My Japanese fieldwork was primarily based in Kushihara village, Gifu-ken, Central Japan, where social wasps and giant hornets are part of the local cuisine.
Social wasps (Vespula spp)
Many people in Kushihara collect the nests of social wasps (Vespula spp), bring them back to their houses and 'rear' them during the summer months (the nests are put in a protective hut and fed with pieces of meat and fish). They are harvested in Autumn. The larvae are sold at high prices, and are cooked in a variety of ways. Some people also collect next year's new queen wasps for hibernation, and keep them in hibernation boxes for protection over the winter months.
More information about social wasps:
PDF file of a conference poster about the communal management of social wasps
Single-page PDF file summarising the collection, rearing and harvesting process,
Slide show with more detailed photos of each stage of the wasp-harvesting process
PDF file of a conference poster about the communal management of social wasps
Single-page PDF file summarising the collection, rearing and harvesting process,
Slide show with more detailed photos of each stage of the wasp-harvesting process
Giant hornets (Vespa manadarinia)
Some people in Kushihara and surrounding villages search for and collect the nests of giant hornets (Vespa mandarinia). Larger and and more deadly than the social wasps, these are only collected from the wild during Autumn and not kept or reared in hive boxes*.
*Some people do keep them in hive boxes in parts of Nagano prefecture.
*Some people do keep them in hive boxes in parts of Nagano prefecture.