Grilled, fried or stewed: Eateries in Singapore serving up silkworms without approval
Silkworm dishes sold at Chuan Chuan Le, a Chinese restaurant in Jalan Besar (Foto: Facebook/Chuan Chuan Le)
The sale of insects for consumption has not yet been approved in Singapore, but some eateries are already serving up dishes with creepy-crawlies. A check online and at food establishments found several Chinese and Korean restaurants here selling silkworm pupae – usually grilled, fried or stewed in soups.
Chuan Chuan Le, a Chinese restaurant in Jalan Besar specialising in grilled skewers, put up a post on its Facebook page last month introducing two of its new dishes: Stir-fried silkworms and grilled silkworms. Silkworms were also on the menu at Ode to Joy Dining, a coffee shop stall in Midview City selling grilled food and mala xiang guo, a spicy, tongue-numbing stir-fry of vegetables and meats. Another grilled skewers restaurant, Tang Men Chuan Chuan in Orchard Plaza, offered chilli-fried silkworms at S$28.80 (US$21.70) for order on food delivery platforms.
The sale of silkworm pupae and other insect products for consumption is currently not allowed, said the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) in response to CNA queries. "Members of the public who come across illegal sales of insects or insect products for food should report to SFA via the online feedback form, which we will investigate," said the agency's spokesperson.
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.
SFA reviews 16 insect species for human consumption; seeks feedback on import conditions
Worms and insects on a plate. (Photo: iStock)
The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) may soon allow the import and sale of insects and insect products for human consumption and animal feed. In a statement on Sunday (Oct 16), the SFA said that after a "thorough scientific review", it could allow "specific species of insects with a history of human consumption" to be served as food.
Sixteen insect species have been reviewed for human consumption, including some types of crickets, grasshoppers, beetles, mealworms, moths, silkworms and honey bees. The commercial farming of insects for human consumption and animal feed has been promoted by the Food and Agriculture Organisation in recent years, the SFA said. In Singapore, more than 10 companies have expressed interest in importing insect food products or insect farming, it added.
Companies intending to import or farm insects for human consumption or animal feed have to meet certain requirements for food safety, SFA said. These include providing documentary proof that the imported insects were farmed in "regulated establishments with food safety controls" and that no pathogens or harmful contaminants were used in the rearing or feeding of the insects.
Could edible insects and bugs be a key part of F&B menus in Singapore soon?
Cricket blondies and black soldier fly sambal. (Photo: Aaron Yeoh)
After chickening out from a dare by my father to try a fried cockroach during a family trip in Cambodia, I finally mustered up the courage to sample brownies made with cricket flour during a corporate event in London.
It was also the first time I heard insect farming can be more sustainable than traditional animal agriculture in terms of land, water and energy use. Since then, I’ve committed to minimising my meat and seafood consumption, mainly to reduce my carbon footprint. But I’ve felt conflicted about eating plant-based foods that are equally resource-intensive to produce such as avocado, almond or cashew. As a regular runner, I have also struggled with getting sufficient protein intake from soy-based meat substitutes such as tempeh or tofu.
Most people associate alternative protein with cell- or plant-based meat substitutes such as Impossible Foods or Beyond Meat, overlooking the health and environmental benefits of eating insects. Over 2,100 species of insects are consumed in 140 different countries across the Asia-Pacific, the Americas and Africa, according to a recent report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Some of the most popular edible insects include beetles, caterpillars, ants, bees, wasps, grasshoppers, locusts and crickets. Insects are a high-fibre, high-protein food source which are low in salt and rich in vitamins, minerals and fatty acids, although their nutritional value varies depending on the species.
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.
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