Entomophagy: Eating Insects / Insects As Food

[Mythopoeika]

Thankfully, I shall never visit Turkey. Not on my list of places to visit.

 

[littlebrowndragon]

Thankfully, I shall never visit Turkey. Not on my list of places to visit.

Turkey was absolutely the best country I have ever visited, it and Russia.

 

[EnolaGaia]

Insect larva fat may become the next "I can't believe it's not butter!" trend (as long as it remains a supplementary ingredient at no more than 50% of the mix) ...

Waiter, there's a fly in my waffle: Belgian researchers try out insect butter

Scientists at Ghent University in Belgium are experimenting with larva fat to replace butter in waffles, cakes and cookies, saying using grease from insects is more sustainable than dairy produce.

Clad in white aprons, the researchers soak Black soldier fly larvae in a bowl of water, put it in a blender to create a smooth greyish dollop and then use a kitchen centrifuge to separate out insect butter.

“There are several positive things about using insect ingredients,” said Daylan Tzompa Sosa, who oversees the research.

“They are more sustainable because (insects) use less land (than cattle), they are more efficient at converting feed ... and they also use less water to produce butter,” Tzompa Sosa said as she held out a freshly baked insect butter cake.

According to the researchers, consumers notice no difference when a quarter of the milk butter in a cake is replaced with larva fat. However, they report an unusual taste when it gets to fifty-fifty and say they would not want to buy the cake.

FULL STORY (With Video):
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...searchers-try-out-insect-butter-idUSKCN20M23U

 

[Mythopoeika]

I had no idea that insects had fat.

“There are several positive things about using insect ingredients,” said Daylan Tzompa Sosa, who oversees the research.

Just not enough to make us salivate over the prospect.

 

[maximus otter]

I had no idea that insects had fat.

When you stamp on a cockroach, much of the goo left on the floor is its fat.

You can have my portion, ta.

maximus otter

 

[Mythopoeika]

When you stamp on a cockroach, much of the goo left on the floor is its fat.

You can have my portion, ta.

maximus otter

Errr... thanks.

 

[EnolaGaia]

Australian researchers make the case for black soldier fly larvae as a high-quality alternative protein source for humans ...

Black soldier fly larvae as protein alternative for hungry humans

Black soldier fly larvae contains more zinc and iron than lean meat and its calcium content is higher than milk. Less than half a hectare of black soldier fly larvae can produce more protein than cattle grazing on around 1200 hectares, or 52 hectares of soybeans. New research has identified the barriers for introducing fly protein into Western human diets as a sustainable, healthy alternative to both meat and plant proteins.

FULL STORY: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201029104951.htm

PUBLISHED REPORT: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1541-4337.12609

 

[maximus otter]

New research has identified the barriers for introducing fly protein into Western human diets...

I wonder how much new research would have been necessary to reveal that we’d rather not eat liquefied bug guts, ta.

maximus otter

 

[Kondoru]

Good luck with that.

Ive had friends who try all sorts of things abroad, and they say most insects are hardly things you go out of your way to eat, being bland in flavour

and often expensive.

This sounds a market winner, doesnt it?

 

[maximus otter]

...most insects are hardly things you go out of your way to eat, being bland in flavour
and often expensive.

Yep, those are the two main reasons why I wouldn't eat cockroach tripes: Because they're bland and expensive.

Nothing to do with:



maximus otter

 

[gordonrutter]

I’ve eaten deep fried locusts which taste like shit and the legs get stuck in your teeth. I’ve eaten deep fried locusts covered in chocolate which taste like shit and the legs get stuck in your teeth. I’ve eaten ants in lollipops which taste like the lollipop and I’ve eaten live ants direct from inside the sticks they were running around in. They tasted like lemon and were actually quite nice.

NB I do not really know what shit tastes like, chocolate covered or not.

 

[Ogdred Weary]

I’ve eaten live ants direct from inside the togs they were running around in.

You took them out of their clothes?

 

[gordonrutter]

You took them out of their clothes?

Edited to read “sticks”!

 

[Ogdred Weary]

Edited to read “sticks”!

Good, eating naked ants is indecent.

Were the lemon-y ants Aussie Green Ants? I've eaten one of them, people say they taste of lime, probably because they're green; they were just generally citrus-y to me.

 

[gordonrutter]

Good, eating naked ants is indecent.

Were the lemon-y ants Aussie Green Ants? I've eaten one of them, people say they taste of lime, probably because they're green; they were just generally citrus-y to me.

It was in South America so I imagine a different species. There was no visual cue as to taste they were just normal reddy black ant colour. It was a surprising and definitely nice taste. For defence purposes ants release formic acid so I’m imagining it was just small amounts of this I was tasting. Citric acid gives lemons their taste and like formic acid it can be used as a preservative so I’m imagining a similar chemistry.

 

[Ogdred Weary]

It was in South America so I imagine a different species. There was no visual cue as to taste they were just normal reddy black ant colour. It was a surprising and definitely nice taste. For defence purposes ants release formic acid so I’m imagining it was just small amounts of this I was tasting. Citric acid gives lemons their taste and like formic acid it can be used as a preservative so I’m imagining a similar chemistry.

Yeah, I knew ants had formic acid as part of their body chemistry so assumed that many or all species would have a similar tang. I've not been moved to try the ones in the garden though.

I bought some crickets in Sainsbury's last year: sold in small bags. They were Smokey BBQ flavoured, which is a flavour I don't care for much, there was a slight after taste that I also didn't like, which I assume was the cricket itself. That said, most people I know who have eaten insects said they just taste of the salt that they are usually cooked with.

 

[Mythopoeika]

NB I do not really know what shit tastes like, chocolate covered or not.

We need to ask Bear Grylls for that.

 

[EnolaGaia]

The EU food safety agency has approved yellow mealworms (insect larvae) as safe to eat.

Cafe, croissant, worms? EU agency says worms safe to eat

The vaunted Mediterranean diet and the French “bon gout” are getting some competition: The European Union’s food safety agency says worms are safe to eat.

The Parma-based agency published a scientific opinion Wednesday on the safety of dried yellow mealworms and gave them a thumbs up. Researchers said the worms, either eaten whole or in powdered form, are a protein-rich snack or ingredient for other foods.

Allergic reactions may occur, especially depending on the type of feed given to the bugs, known officially as Tenebrio molitor larva. But overall “the panel concludes that the (novel food) is safe under the proposed uses and use levels.” ...

Thus, the European Union has now thrown its weight behind worms in much the same way the United Nations has. ...

FULL STORY: https://apnews.com/article/eu-worms-safe-to-eat-086c85e260096a18489b77a17a4bd913

 

[Mythopoeika]

The EU food safety agency has approved yellow mealworms (insect larvae) as safe to eat.


FULL STORY: https://apnews.com/article/eu-worms-safe-to-eat-086c85e260096a18489b77a17a4bd913

I think those will typically be dried out and ground to a protein powder, then used as a 'filler' in other food products (such as pies).
Nothing wrong with that if done properly.

 

[Schrodinger's Zebra]

Why am I even reading this thread?

You know on the Top Gear Vietnam Special, where Richard really really does not want to eat any of the 'food' that James and Jeremy are eating, then finally has a bowl of rice krispies after about a week of not eating?

Yeah. That would be me. I completely sympathised with him on that.