Good Grub
Boris here to discuss one of my favorite topics: EATING. Since you asked, yes, I eat insects on occasion. Once again, I seem to be on the cutting-edge of a planet changing trend…
Imagine sitting down at a restaurant — not so easy when you have four cloven hoofs! — and ordering French-fried ants, roasted termites and, for dessert, chocolate-covered grub worms. No? Well, get used to it. A story in the New York Times suggests that not only will gourmet insects be the next big food trend for humans, it’s vital; apparently your protein sources are dwindling and the last untapped source are the things the rest of us eat — bugs!
Insects provide so much protein, I’ve seen grizzly bears down a mound of ants and not eat again until spring. The article points out you are already consuming bugs, and not just those gnats that fly down your throat when you bicycle with your mouth open (you really should stop doing that). Peanut butter, for instance, is allowed to have 30 insect fragments per 100 grams, and chocolate is allowed to have 60 fragments.
According to this latest publication from Meticulous Research™, the global edible insects market is expected to be valued at USD 1,181.6 million by 2023, growing at a CAGR of 23.8% from 2018, mainly due to “growing population and decreasing food resources, increasing demand for protein rich food, high cost of animal protein, environmental sustainability with production and consumption of edible insects, high nutritional value of insects, and low risk of transmitting zoonotic disease.”
In 2017, the report notes, crickets commanded the largest slice of the global edible insect pie (sorry for the visual) due to “its high nutritional value, easy farming, easy processing and incorporation into various food recipes & products, and increasing demand for cricket-based products, such as protein powder, protein bars, and snacks, among others”.
Before you turn your nose up at the idea, chew on this: entomophagy (the consumption of insects) is a common practice that’s been taking place since the start of your species. Today, some 2 billion people regularly eat insects as part of their diet, and over 1,900 species are edible. The most commonly eaten bugs are beetles, caterpillars, bees, wasps and ants.
But wait, there’s more. Insects are healthy — and green (as in sustainable). Insects have a high fat, protein, vitamin, fiber and mineral content that is often comparable to fish or livestock. House crickets, for example, contain on average 205 g/kg protein; beef contains 256 g/kg. Termites are also surprisingly protein rich — one species found in Venezuela is 64% protein. Some insects are even as much as 80% protein by weight. Mealworms contain as much unsaturated omega-3 and six fatty acids as fish and even more than beef and pork. Needless to say, I am all about reducing pork consumption.
By the way, what do roasted termites taste like? Chicken! (Not really, but it is good to laugh.) And according to National Geographic, while stinkbugs may have a foul odor, they actually taste like apples. I think I’ll stick with Granny Smith.
Makes you wonder, when is someone going to open an “In-N-Out Bugger”? A while. Chances are that it will be quite some time before you can drive-thru for the freshest, tastiest bugs on the go. The nutrition is there, but the Westerners ain’t buyin it. Yet.
Originally published at 500bcfoundry.com by Boris.
