Insect replacement therapy

Perfectly natural protein without the beef

One Christmas as a stocking filler we bought the kids amber coloured lollies. The twist was each one contained a very black ominous something which included scorpions in one or two. The more revolting and off-putting the better. It was all entirely edible but I don’t remember there being any takers to delve too deep beyond the sweet outer casing. Most sat on shelves next to books or Gameboys until they were finally binned.

The Yuck factor

Outside of Europe and North America, eating insects is common — 2.5 billion people in 113 countries. How about a main course of grasshoppers fried with onions, as in Uganda, followed by tom kati kai mod daeng, ants eggs boiled in coconut milk for dessert; a delicacy in Thailand? The biggest insect eaters are Mexicans and Chapulin (grasshopper) farming is common in some regions.

Let’s not get too squeamish. How many of us have eaten prawns slathered in garlic butter. A ritual which includes removing all of the creature’s armour before feasting on the encased, pupae-sized, sweet meat inside.

As Emillie Filou, Buzzing says, for insects to be a common part of our diet they need to be readily available, easy to use and taste delicious. New food trends take decades to catch-on, think…