The human body has an inbuilt gag reflex to prevent it from ingesting a harmful substance. This kicks in when a sensor sends a signal to the back of the throat, shutting it down. Often a smell will trigger this reflex; at other times a deep-seated inhibition will cause instant retching.

I keep this instinct firmly in check as I try new dishes I am unfamiliar with. Last year, I ordered stir-fried locusts in Hanoi, and was making my way through the dish until my wife unkindly remarked that one of them looked like a cockroach. I must confess I came close to throwing up, but overcame the gag reflex.

According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation, insects are an excellent source of protein. Indeed, some 2.5 billion people around the globe eat them in some form or another. But while most people say “Yuck!” when confronted with a bowl of, say, marinated silk worms, more and more restaurants are now including insects on their menus.

As millions in China and India join the middle class, their diets change to include more meat, chicken and fish. But our aquatic stocks are dwindling fast, and beef production uses far more feed than any other form of protein. Ten kilos of feed will produce nine kilos of insects, five kilos of chicken and just one kilo of beef. On the basis of these conversion ratios, it seems to be a no-brainer to eat more creepy crawlies. It is estimated that there are 40 tonnes of edible insects per head; 1,400 edible varieties have been identified.

But our diet is a product of culinary traditions, religious beliefs and economics. In Islam, all insects apart from locusts are forbidden, so I don’t expect to see scorpion karahi in my local kebab joint anytime soon. However, just as the poor are shifting to meat and fish as they become more prosperous, the rich are becoming more experimental, with more insects appearing in Western restaurants.

The Archipelago in London has a ‘Love Bug Salad’ that has grasshoppers and locusts cooked in a Thai sauce. And in case you are feeling adventurous in your kitchen, here’s a simple recipe for deep-fried grasshoppers:

Make a batter with baking powder, flour, milk and a beaten egg. Throw in some salt and red chilli flakes. Coat a cupful of grasshoppers with the batter, and deep fry them until they are crispy brown.

But apart from insects, the yuck factor can come into play even with everyday dishes. The other day, flipping through a book on Mughal cuisine by Bilquis Jehan Naseeruddin Khan, I came across a recipe for Nihari. Now this is a great favourite, so I thought I would learn a new variation until I came across these ingredients: four lamb feet, one lamb head, and four lamb tongues. The instructions read: Remove the skin of the lamb head and break into several pieces. Cut meat from jaw and discard teeth and bone. Remove brain and wash. Discard hooves and skin from feet.

Much as I love Nihari, I can’t picture myself shattering a lamb skull on my kitchen counter. Years ago, while a student in Ankara, I ordered brain in a restaurant, and was startled to have a large platter with a split sheep’s head placed before me. The brain had been removed, cooked and then placed back in its cavity. I’m sure it was delicious, but the sight of the hacked head was a distraction.

There are few things I wouldn’t try at least once, but one of them is the brain of a baby monkey. Apparently, this is a great delicacy in the Far East. But before going yuck!, we should remember that many of the oddities eaten by millions were forced on them in times of famine, and then became part of the cuisine. Until relatively recently, virtually the whole animal was eaten, but with rising prosperity, people now go for the more expensive cuts, ignoring such things as brain, intestines, tail and neck. But properly cooked, they can be delicious.

So do shed your dietary prejudices, and try new things to tickle your palate out of its comfort zone.