Karl:

> I once met him in Montrame and tasted
> a beetle and a grasshoper from his
> breeding. But -- they don't smell,
> so is that food 'instinctive' or not?
> Where is the instinctive attraction?
>

A few hypothesis:

1) That food is not instinctive. The first time, youngsters learn to
catch these insects by imitation, and then they do it by habit.

2) The instinct does not only consist of smell and taste, but also
some behaviors are instinctive. Maybe the pattern see the insect-am
hungry-try to catch it is instinctive (i.e., determined by genetics).

3) Sometimes, just thinking about a food is enough, there is no need
to smell it to determine if it is useful or not. For instance, when
the wheather is very hot and you are thirsty, juicy fruits are useful.


BTW, here are a few "instinctive stops":

 *I am so full that sitting upright is not a comfortable position, so
I have to lean backwards.
 *I want to come back to one of the previous foods of my meal
 *I take smaller and smaller bits of broccoli or cauliflower
 *In the piece of meat or vegetable, I try to eat only the best parts.


Best wishes,

Jean-Louis Tu
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