Next time you see a food item infested with insect, do not be repulsed by the sight. Insects may soon be the culinary ingredient of the future as insects have proven to be full of protein, calcium, zinc and iron, making them a viable alternative to chicken, pig, and cow meat.
World’s population is expected to rise to 8 billion by next four decades. In the wake of rising inflation and food & crude crisis leading to price hike of vegetables, satiating world hunger may be an alarming issue in front of many countries and United Nations.
In developing and underdeveloped countries, demand for animal products is already on a sharp rise. In order to figure out how to fill billion mouths with proper nutrition and healthy meals, researchers and scientists around the world anticipate entomophagy - eating insects – to be an elegant and exquisite solution.
Eating Insects may catch fancy of Indians soon
Insects do not require much space as cattle or other livestock and have less carbon footprints and hence are easier on the environment.
Bug-eating may still not be a craze in India but has caught the fancy of many Indians who do it out of choice or as a survival stunt. For instance, a lot of Indians are seen eating bugs and edible insects in several reality shows such as ‘Survivor’, ‘Fear Factor’, ‘Roadies’ etc. One of the reality shows featured a task consisting of a five meals that included earthworms, assorted insects, squid and locusts with juice. It may be an international task but was performed by Indians.
Besides, chefs too have shown interest from time to time in experimenting with insect-based cooking. High protein and fibre food items prepared from insects is a new age calling. David George Gordon is world famous as ‘Bug-Chef’ who creates culinary masterpieces using ants, grasshoppers and other insects.
Back in India, chefs are keen to try their hands on crazy creations. Chef Vicky Ratnani says, "Bugs are a popular delicacy in countries like Thailand, China, etc. There is no harm in eating them till the time they are clean. I would personally, as a chef, like to prepare crickets fried in Tempura batter."
So even though we can solve the problem of turning insects into tasty and craveable treats, the biggest hurdle in making the insect cuisine acceptable is to make Indians eat it.
But if they assess the nutritional benefits of insect, times can change pretty soon.
For example a chicken hamburger is approximately 20% protein and 20% fat. On the other side cooked grasshopper contains up to 60% protein with just 5% fat. Which one of the two sounds more nutritional?
Why eat bugs
Cockroaches are used as medicine and food around the world.
Larvae are very nutritious as some of them have 50-60% protein
More than 2 billion eat insects around the world as per UN Food and Agriculture Organization
While termites are fried and roasted in Ghana during the spring rains, In South Africa the insects are eaten with cornmeal porridge.
It takes up to 1000 times less water to raise insects than livestock.
Burgers, chicken, and pork are worse for our environment than our cars.
