All I can say to this is....Ewwwwwwwww.
To the tune of the Pink Panther theme. Dead ant dead ant...dead ant....dead ant dead ant dead ant...
(Edit: Tried to embed the web page. Not working, so here is a link and a copy of the story - Sorry)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1516&ncid=1516&e=3&u=/afp/20040528/od_afp/colombia_britain_ants_040528050543 British firm to market Giant Toasted Ants in Europe, US, Australia
| Fri May 28, 1:05 AM ET |
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BOGOTA, (AFP) - A British firm specializing in exotic food will sell half a ton of big-bottomed, toasted Colombian ants -- best harvested in cemeteries -- to Europe, Australia and the United States, after they became the rage in Britain.
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"Edible Limited" has inserted its lastest gourmet item, "Giant Toasted Ants," in its catalogue next to such scrumptious entries as chocolate covered crickets and scorpion potatoes.
Todd Dalton, the 29-year-old British entrepreneur behind the ambitious culinary company, said he has just signed a three-year contract with a Colombian firm to export 500 kilograms of the large Colombian ants, known as "culonas" (big bottom).
The idea of expanding the market for these ants, which thrive in cemeteries, came to Dalton, he said, after seeing how well they sold in Britain last year. He said his countrymen found them "exciting and unusual."
Dalton is busy visiting ant harvesting centers in Colombia's northern Santander department to familiarize himself with the meticulous process of collecting and preparing the ants for human consumption.
The price of Giant Toasted Ants, he said, will hover around 20 US dollars for 25 grams of the protein-packed insects -- in Colombia, the same amount goes for three dollars.
Hernando Medina, who manages Plaza Colombiana, the Colombian firm that supplies the ants to Edible Limited, told reporters he was ecstatic about the potential sales abroad.
He told reporters he was also exploring a cosmetic use for the big-bottom ants, possibly some sort of anti-wrinkle cream.
