The fact that insect protein can be eaten by humans ....
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| Thai Snack Foods |
.... has been known for thousands of years, and the scientific term for eating insects is anthropo-entomophagy.
So for example, in Australia, the witchetty grub was eaten by the Aboriginals, while winged termites are eaten fried, roasted, or made into bread in Ghana. In southern Africa, the mopane worm is still a source of protein. Whilst Orientals in China, Thailand, Japan, and Bali all eat a variety of insects from bee larvae from beehives, to fried bugs and crickets (served in many bars and markets as crispy snack foods), aquatic fly larvae (sautéed in sugar and soy sauce), and de-winged dragonflies (boiled in coconut milk), respectively.
But in Europe (and by extension European populated colonies in North America, Australia and New Zealand), the practice never took off, or was ever even tried as far as I know. So although occasionally scientists have mentioned that one day insect protein will have to replace animal protein in Western diets (approximately 1 billion metric tons available, or the same weight as the combined biomass of all humanity and livestock combined), very few attempts have been made to commercially do so.
So all hail to Thomas Micolino, who runs an ice cream parlour in Rottenburg am Neckar, in Southern Germany. Mr Micolino likes to experiment with new flavours such as ice cream covered in edible gold, as well as liver sausage flavours, even Gorgonzola ice cream. But in March 2023 he started offering Cricket Flavoured ice cream.
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| "Yummy Tasting" Ice Cream |
He described the method as being to use insect flour (possibly from a company called C-fu Foods Inc who sell various insect based flours and protein powders), with dried crickets (like a giant sprinkle) on top ... this concoction as having a "surprisingly yummy taste." Perhaps unsurprisingly some of his regular customers were upset at the flavour even being offered. Maybe the sight of dead crickets were the deal breaker?
Of course there is nothing new under the sun, and Urban Churn apparently makes a honey-based ice cream with folded-in crickets and brown sugar butter. Some people who have tried it say that the toffee flavour is dominant, but you can still taste the earthy flavour of the cricket.
Now I accept that insect protein may be the future, but personally, I cant get past the wings and legs .....
I saw Josh Gates eat some on his TV show, and say that they taste like pepper with wheat texture. But he did grimace.
ReplyDeleteHe eats strange local delicacies regularly on his Expedition X shows.
DeleteI've watched the show in the past ... we seem to get repeats mostly, although now I've checked, there may be a new series running at night at the moment. However I recall him eating insects more than once.
DeleteHowever as its likely going to be the cheapest form of protein in the future, I suspect it will be added to other foods in a powdered form in the future.
Thanks for the comments. 👍