Entomophagy is a real mouthful

Why eating bugs could actually be the way forward

Let’s be brutally honest, a fair few of us Brits aren’t exactly the world’s most adventurous eaters. At first glance that word at the top – entomophagy – may not mean anything to you, but gone are the days where you need to happen upon a street vendor in downtown Bangkok to chow down on the bug-tastic. They’re now easily accessible right here in Blighty, which means you’re running out of excuses not to try them.

“I’d rather Forest avoided relegation” is probably what you’re thinking right now, but there’s method in the madness. Plus, contrary to the opening paragraph, there’s a small percentage of British palates that have started to embrace the weird and wonderful in exponential fashion over the last decade, so why not bugs?

Paving the way for the UK’s growing edible insect businesses are Neil and Shami, co-founders of Eat Grub from which I made my online purchase for a 45g pouch of edible crickets. In their follow-up emails they’re keen to point out the benefits of what they call their ‘tiny revolution’. “Both my Co-Founder and I came at it from different interests,” says Shami. “Having worked in international development and seen first-hand the devastating impact that climate change was having on rural areas in Africa and Asia, it was the sustainability of insects that really got me.

“You may know this already, and feel free to stop reading now if you do, but insects are an incredibly environmentally friendly source of protein when compared to traditional meats and even some plant proteins.” The facts really do speak for themselves. Among them are that insects contain all nine amino acids and are high in omega-3 and iron, whilst farming them produces 3000 times less greenhouse gases compared to beef.

However, without pointing out the bleedin’ obvious, they still need to taste okay. Regular followers of The Early Whistle will know that I’m no stranger to more exotic cuisine, as a recent restaurant review testifies, so I was keen to try the crickets as nature intended. After popping a couple into my mouth, the overriding impression was one heck of a crunch and zero saltiness. Could they ever sit alongside such classic barsnacks as mini cheddars, scampi fries or pork scratchings? After all, they’re best enjoyed in Thailand with an alcoholic beverage, and I’m no fan of the third member of that trio, but it’s unlikely for now. Oh well, at least no one can possibly come out with the biggest cop-out of all and claim they taste like chicken.

Now it was time to sample them as they should be. I decided to follow the recipe on the back of the sachet, which called for dousing the remaining crickets in soy sauce, roasting them in foil and finishing with a sprinkle of pepper and chilli powder. Would this be an oven-ready deal of the more palatable kind? The suspense was killing me. Of course the seasoning made a heck of a difference, bringing out a subtle yet imposing nuttiness in the flavour. A slightly chewy texture had replaced some of the crunch, providing a nice balance.

I was starting to see what Western nations have been missing out on. I’m not going to sit here and lie by saying that entomology’s preferable to a lasagne or cornish pasty, but if the world suddenly had to make do with more alternative food sources, I get the feeling I’d be just dandy. Unfortunately, it seems as if there’s a lot of persuading still to be done. An article appeared in Lincolnshire World last year on the possibility of a bug farm coming to the county. Residents were less than enthusistic about the idea, despite awareness of the benefits to the environment as well as themselves.

The fact that Eastern cultures have been embracing entomophagy for thousands of years seems to have had little effect (so far), because if anything it takes “foreign muck” to a whole new level. The tiny revolution may be on its way, but it’s spreading at a snail’s pace rather than like a plague of locusts. Meanwhile, let us know your thoughts below, whether you’ve sampled the joy of insects or still wouldn’t touch them with the proverbial.