Bug Appetit! Celebrity Chef Curtis Stone to Eat Worms, Beetles and Nightcrawlers on 'Top Chef'

Celebrity chef Curtis Stone hosts the upcoming season of Bravo's "Top Chef: Masters," but at one point during filming, the famous foodie felt more like a contestant on "Fear Factor."

Although Stone told AOL News his latest TV job was just peachy, the chef also admitted that one particular day of shooting left a seriously bad taste in his mouth.

During one task on the third season of the popular cooking show, premiering Wednesday, the stars of Discovery's wilderness survival show "Man, Woman, Wild" were invited on set to challenge the chefs to make a fancy dish out of bugs -- including nightcrawlers and beetles.

As the lucky host, Stone had to taste test those dishes and admitted it was "the worst day" on the job of his otherwise glamorous gig.

"No matter how good of a chef you are, it's hard to make bugs taste good. Unfortunately, I had to eat [all of the dishes]. I still have memories of biting into the worms and feeling their grit," the dreamy Australian chef told reporters on a conference call.

"I always say this was a good gig, but that part was awful," said Stone, who competed last year on Donald Trump's "The Celebrity Apprentice."

But not everyone on "Top Chef: Masters" shares Stone's disdain for bugs at the table.

In fact, former New York Times restaurant critic Ruth Reichl -- now a judge on the TV chef competition -- told reporters during that same conference call that she would've loved to crunch down on some insects alongside Stone.

Unfortunately, she said, she wasn't there for the filming of that specific cooking challenge.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there that day! I've eaten bugs all over the world, and I find nothing weird or creepy about eating insects. I honestly would've liked to be there [for that]," Reichl said.

Another woman wholeheartedly in support of eating bugs is self-proclaimed "insect-eating advocate" Daniella Martin, who runs the blog Girl Meets Bug.

There, Martin showcases video cooking demonstrations and recipes involving all kinds of edible insects, including how to make "waxworm tacos."

Martin told AOL News she's not too surprised by Stone's sour reaction to eating insects since many people -- especially Westerners -- share his opinion.

"I think it's deeply ingrained in our culture that insects are not food. We're taught that at an early age. But the truth is some bugs are tasty. It depends on what bugs they are and how they're prepared, though," Martin explained.

If Stone's palate was exposed to nightcrawlers and beetles for the first time on the TV show, Martin can see why he didn't take to the quirky cuisine.

"It sounds like they may have gotten the wrong kind of bugs. Not all bugs are edible or taste good, especially different types of beetles. Nightcrawlers shouldn't be eaten because they're earthworms. They eat dirt, so of course they're not going to taste good.

"You can't just eat any type of insect. You don't eat a ladybug just because it's pretty," she said. Martin's rule of thumb for insect-eating goes like this: "Black, green and brown, swallow it down. Red, blue or yellow, leave that fellow." And, she added, "Never, ever eat a brightly colored bug."

Martin noted that if the TV chefs had been given crickets or waxworm larvae to work with, Stone's tune may have been different. Those particular bugs, she said, are downright delicious.

"Waxworm larvae -- from wax moths -- are raised on bran and honey so when you eat them, they have this sweet, subtle flavor. They taste like some sort of mushroom. Crickets can be cooked like any other type of meat, sauteed with onions or garlic, and most people will agree that they taste like nutty shrimp. The key is to find bugs that taste good. That's what I advocate."

Despite Stone's bug snub, Martin continues to praise the nutritional and eco-friendly benefits of insect-eating through her cooking demos on her blog.

In time, she hopes more Westerners will learn to accept certain insects as a legitimate food source and incorporate bugs into their diet.

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