EXOTIC FARE IN MEXICO.

One would think of this as a tough sell: Convincing poor Mexican farmers that something they normally consider destructive to their crops could become a revenue stream because of a small but growing market.

And, in a phrase that could come right out of an ad agency created television campaign, The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles) quotes a biologist who is already in on the market: "Kids love them," he says.

Them?

Why, bugs, of course.

Many world cultures have a tradition of using insects as food, and insects are often considered delicacies.

To the outside world, one of the better known Mexican insect specialties is the worm in the bottle of mezcal. (The worm- in-a-bottle is often mistakenly identified as a bottle of tequila, which is not marketed with worms.)

But well-known as this specialty may be, it is not part of the ancient Mexican diet tradition of eating insects. The worm is mostly a marketing device aimed at young men who see the worm's consumption as a rite of passage and, in fact, didn't show up in mezcal until the early 50s.

The June 16, 2005 Times story points out that Mexico's insect consumption does, indeed, have roots that go back centuries. Today, maguey worms and ant eggs can be found in expensive Mexican restaurants as exotic - and nutritional - offerings. The Times says that bugs have twice the protein of beef, and because they are also tasty bugs could be marketed to the approximately 20-million low-income Mexicans who, not incidentally, have a long tradition of insects in their diet.

The southern part of Mexico, again according to the Times, is well-known for its emphasis on bugs in the diet. Fried green caterpillars, and green caterpillars boiled with a little lime are treats that Mexicans of the south wait for all year.

Product development is well underway. Locusts covered in chocolate have caught on, as have a clear jell-o like candy with a bug visible in the middle - invented by the biologist quoted at the beginning of this piece.

Market studies have confirmed that there is a high degree of consumer acceptance, but there are some problems with health regulations.

Small commercial efforts have sprung up. Farmers outside of Mexico City, for example, used to kill the bugs on their farms until they found out they could make more money selling the bugs as food. Mixed bug products are also in development.

CONSUMER MARKET INSIGHTS: