The Future of Food: Eating Insects
Like It or Not, Fried Fish-Cricket Soup Is Our Future
As far as food reviews are concerned, this one takes the cricket cake. Nestled between the pale white strands of silky noodles and nuggets of fried fish, the jet-black fried cricket looks almost comically out of place. A munch in, and we almost gagged; the bits of briny, metallic nuttiness of this bug lend an umami relish that’s rather hard to place.
Still, while an unprecedented fit, the fried cricket’s aromatic, peppery, and crunchy texture—reminiscent of nasi lemak sambal—is slowly growing on us. We like this, maybe. The strangeness of eating bugs gives way to mild acceptance that surprises our colleagues watching us from across the table, brows furrowed, perplexed.
We gamely chomped down on the remaining scraps of crickets and fish slices. The room is silent save for crackle-crunch-crackle-crunch-crackle. Soon, the table is only left with empty plastic containers. We slouch backwards on our chairs, sighing in food coma satisfaction. We check our teeth for stray bug legs and wings. Day one of eating crickets with local dishes is off to a good start.
Cricket smoothies, anyone?
A spoonful of edible cricket. Some types of crickets are among 16 insect species the Singapore Food Agency has reviewed for human consumption. (Photo: iStock/casketcase)
Crickets could be available as snacks in Singapore. New laws in the works to regulate insects for human consumption in Singapore means Asia Insect Farm Solutions can one day bring its cricket powder - currently only available for sale in Europe - to market here.
The firm is looking at venturing into the snack market because there is a perception that such foods are not healthy, said its co-founder Yuvanesh T S. “We thought with edible insects being high in protein and other vitamins and minerals, we can also create products that are nutritious but still tasty,” he told CNA. A 100g serving of crickets contains 65g of protein, more than twice in a similar serving of chicken breast.
While people may find the insects off-putting in their whole form, they may be more comfortable with them in powder form, said Mr Yuvanesh. “We are trying to think of ways where we can introduce edible insect-based products in a way that people are comfortable,” he said, citing smoothies as an example that people may find acceptable. CNA journalist Chloe Choo, who tasted a peanut butter and kale smoothie made with the powder, said that people are unlikely to taste the alternative protein’s presence in their drink.
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