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Next time you browse the aisles at your local grocery store be sure to read the labels carefully. You wouldn't want to confuse blue tortilla chips with look-a-like chips made entirely of crickets. Or pick up a protein powder made of bugs and not vegetarian-friendly whey. That's right, edible insects are slowly creeping into some of our favorite foods and it's only a matter of time before they go mainstream.
For some time now, chefs and even the U.N. have been championing insects as an eco-friendly super food that will feed an increasing global population. It's no surprise that the trend has spurred food innovations like insect power bars, scorpion pizza and grasshopper sauce (which, by the way, is served at the world's best restaurant).
Recently, three Harvard graduates took notice and developed Chirps, a brand of chips made from beans, rice and ground crickets. The chips look just like tortilla chips and are gluten free, low in fat and contain three times as more protein than potato chips, Modern Farmer reports. The cricket chips are sold under Six Foods, a snack food company based in Boston founded by Rose Wang, Laura D'Asaro and Meryl Natow.
Chirps
Another novelty food hoping to make a big splash is bugMUSCLE, as the name suggests it is a protein powder made of edible insects. Aimed at martial artists and body builders, the protein powder was has been in the works for 25 years. It was created by Dianne Guilfoyle, a mother of three and a cancer survivor. bugMUSCLE is produced in Southern California and is expected to hit the market this fall, according to Food Beast.
Meanwhile, over in Copenhagen the Nordic Food Lab is experimenting with everything from bee larvae and moths to mosquito eggs in an effort to create gourmet dishes worthy of Michelin stars.
In case you are adventurous enough to try bugs, here's a break down of edible insects that are safest to eat:
What do you think? Is it just a matter of time until eating bugs becomes mainstream? Would you consider eating insects?
