Hot on the heels of my recent peek into the peculiar genius of the Gleaner’s Kitchen,
I find myself facing another burning question about our food boundaries …
Would you eat
( . . . . . )
bugs?
Before you answer, let me qualify my query.
I’m not asking if you would pluck a beetle from your yard and …
C-R-U-N-C-H it.
Photo by Bob Peterson via Wikimedia Commons
It’s okay; I’ll give you a moment to recover before I move on …
Ready?
Atta girl.
The bugs that beg the question emanate from a more elegant field of entomology.
Actually, Ento for short.
Ento is a brilliant experimental enterprise launched by four students at the Royal College of Art at Imperial College London. Did I say brilliant?
It represents more than curious cuisine, to be sure.
Some might say it’s avant-garde gourmet. Brilliant is what I say.
But, Ento also presents an undeniably green twist on mainstream gastronomy.
(Insert grasshopper joke here.)
“Why bugs, though?” you ask. “What the heck is wrong with a nice, juicy steak or barbequed tofu?”
Bugs, the Ento team explains, are much more space- and energy-efficient than traditional livestock and agriculture and will happily eat the crops we don’t want. They are also high in protein, low in fat and cholesterol, and rich in nutrients like omega-3.
You see?
Actually, the nifty thing about Ento’s beautifully crafted cuisine is what you don’t see.
That is, the bugs.
Nothing creepy-crawly here, girlfren.
Ento’s delicate sushi-like dishes delight the eye and, yes, attract the appetite as well.
Photo courtesy of Ento
“At Ento, we work towards getting people to eat insects one delicious bite at a time,” invites the Ento team. “We do this because we know edible insects are a healthy, tasty, and sustainable source of protein, and also because we love food, designing exciting experiences, and well, the world we live in.”
It should be pointed out that in many countries around the world, insects are a diet staple. If you were being asked to eat shrimp for the first time or a soft-boiled egg, think about how would you react?
Photo courtesy of Ento
“Our roadmap for introducing edible insects to the Western diet is based on a sequence of delicious products and delightful experiences that will gently challenge our cultural taboos. With your interest and lots of cooking and farming, we believe insect dishes could be a regular sight in your local supermarket by 2020.”
Need a bit more incentive before you partake in Buffalo Caterpillar and Chives Pâté?
Watch this:
Uh, my response is still EWWWWW! I think I will stick to sushi with avocado. California style, I think it is called. I cannot think of a better way to push me toward being a complete vegetarian, but including eggs from properly raised hens and organic cheeses. The whole insect eating thing gives me the creeps. As my friend’s grandson says when he doesn’t want to eat something,” Mimi, I can’t want it!” .
Blech!
Actually, I’ve eaten some bugs that my aunt brought home from Africa. Of course, they were chocolate covered grasshoppers & ants. (no pun intended). And as I think over the years of gardening with my family, I know we’ve eaten a few bugs from cabbage heads & broccoli heads. A regular part of my diet? Probably not!
I love this MJ! I took an entomology class in college and the culminating event was a huge bug BBQ. Turned out the eeber-jeebers I came with were all in my head!
The cricket chili tasted just like normal chili and the chocolate covered grasshoppers had a nice crunch. 😀
Once I got my mind over the matter, it turned out to be a pretty tasty event!
It, of course, is VERY DIFFICULT to get over the fact that they are “bugs”, but perhaps if one did not know and ate some of the dishes it could be done.
It’s true, we do eat many things that others would “EWWW!!” over, so we should not be so quick to judge.
And, one must admit there are certainly more “bugs” than any other animal protein source out there.
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