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Edible Caterpillar

An edible caterpillar is an insect larva consumed as food, commonly roasted, fried, or dried.

Edible Caterpillar — illustrative ingredient image

About Edible Caterpillar

Edible caterpillars are the larvae of moths or butterflies collected or reared as food. The name covers many species and food traditions, and the larvae may be eaten whole, cleaned, dried, or incorporated into savoury dishes. They are commonly treated as a snack or protein-rich ingredient.

Their appearance varies widely: bodies may be smooth or hairy and may differ greatly in size and colour. Cooked larvae can be soft or firm inside with a browned exterior, while dried larvae are more compact and may be crisp, brittle, or chewy. Species, maturity, and preparation strongly affect flavour and texture.

They may be roasted, fried, boiled, smoked, or dried. Fresh preparations can be served whole or added to sauces and stews; dried forms may be eaten directly or ground into other foods. Heat browns the surface and changes the interior from raw and yielding to firmer or crisp.

Ingredient type
whole food

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ON A MENU OR LABEL

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Where edible caterpillar appears

3 linked foods

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Main dishes

Ingredient connections awaiting review · Coverage is still growing, including packaged snacks.

Name examples awaiting language review. Confirm the specific food or product.

Local names for edible caterpillar

Names and romanised forms to recognise on menus and labels.

English

Edible Caterpillars

Available names only. Languages may be spoken in other countries; a name alone does not identify every ingredient in a dish.

Edible Caterpillar nutrition & diet

Edible Caterpillar nutritional value

Representative benchmark: Spices, not further specified

Representative nutrition benchmarkOfficial table values for a comparable food category, not a laboratory measurement of this exact ingredient.

Per 100 g of 100 g edible portion in the named official reference form.

Calories
349kcal
Protein
12.1g
Carbs
30.5g
Fat
14.5g

Representative benchmark from a comparable official food-composition category; it is not a laboratory measurement of this exact ingredient. The displayed reference form must be considered, and species, cultivar, recipe, brand, processing and preparation can change values.

Portions & preparation

Establish the caterpillar’s species or food identity and whether the reference covers whole insects, cleaned bodies, or a processed product. Specify fresh, roasted, fried, dried, or powdered form, including removed parts, oil, seasoning, and coating. Do not substitute one edible insect for another.

Compare the right form: Reference the identified caterpillar species or product, matching whole or cleaned edible portion, fresh, cooked, dried, or powdered form.

Diet considerations

An edible caterpillar is animal-derived as an insect larva, but its exact identity and processing must be established. Compatibility changes with frying oil, cereal batter, seasonings, sauces, or mixed snack products. Plain roasted or dried insects differ from seasoned preparations, and portion size and accompanying starches influence carbohydrate patterns.

AI-authored reading notes · Awaiting editorial review. Measured values, where available, have a separate source above.

Dietary compatibility

  • Vegan
    Typically incompatible
  • Vegetarian
    Typically incompatible
  • Pescatarian
    Not established
  • Keto
    Not established
  • Paleo
    Not established
  • Low-carb
    Not established
  • Halal
    Not established
  • Kosher
    Not established
What these diet assessments mean
Vegan · Typically incompatible
The ingredient profile identifies an animal-derived food or derivative.
Vegetarian · Typically incompatible
The profile identifies animal flesh, seafood or a derivative excluded by a vegetarian diet.
Pescatarian · Not established
The animal source or category needs checking against the pescatarian definition.
Keto · Not established
A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
Paleo · Not established
The ingredient form and processing have not been assessed against this dietary pattern.
Low-carb · Not established
A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
Halal · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish halal status.
Kosher · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish kosher status.

For the plain ingredient · Awaiting review. Diet compatibility is not allergy suitability or halal/kosher certification. Keto and low-carb depend on the portion.

Reviewed ingredient entryIngredient reference · Preparations vary

AI-generated illustration for visual context. It does not identify a particular product or establish allergen content.

Sources & review

Nutrition reference: Pacific Nutrient Database 2020 — 01.1.9.4.0_99 ↗. Values are scaled from 100 g of the recorded edible form. Individual portions have no assumed fixed weight.

Expanded overview, name examples and nutrition notes are database drafts awaiting editorial review. Numeric nutrition values, where shown, have their own source and food-form reference.

The ingredient description and dish connections come from the draft catalogue and may change after review.

Last recorded verification: .