Would You Eat a Cricket?

I asked this to a coworker the other day after I read this article. She looked at me and laughed–nay, she guffawed.

“No way!” she said. “Gross!”

“What if it didn’t look like a cricket?” I said.

“How so?”

“What if it was chopped up and molded into a new shape, something tasteful and elegant. Would you eat it if it looked like a donut hole, even if you knew it was a cricket?”

She pondered this for a minute. “If it’s deep-fried, I’ll eat anything.”

ento-change-gen-inline-2Case in point: The article I referred to above is about an interesting startup in England called Ento that is trying to turn insects into the next sushi. That is, they’re trying to take something with a  perception problem and turn it into a stylish, acceptable food.

When I saw the headline for the article, I had my doubts. But after looking at the photos (one of which is posted here), I genuinely want to try these dishes. I’ve always heard that insects are a great source of protein. Most of the protein I currently consume is processed anyway. Chickens don’t come in the form of nuggets; turkeys don’t look like deli meat; burger patties don’t fall off of cows’ backs. I try to eat natural, organic meat, but it’s hard to avoid meat that isn’t reshaped and repurposed in some way.

So why not do the same to insects? They’re significantly more sustainable than mammal produce, and they provide more protein per ounce than meat. As long as crickets don’t look like crickets, they might actually taste good.

What do you think? Would you eat a cricket?

10 thoughts on “Would You Eat a Cricket?”

  1. I ate bondiggae in Korea once. It’s silk worm larvae boiled and served in a tiny dixie cup. They look like roaches. They smell awful (you can smell the bondiggae tent before you see it). And, yes, they taste awful.

    I also ate raw octopus. No, not the sushi kind (which is delightful) but the I-just-pulled-it-out-of-the-ocean-and-chopped-it-up-and-it-was-still-writhing-around-but-I-snagged-one-of-those-pieces-with-my-chopsticks-and-dipped-it-in-gochujang-sauce-and-ate-it kind of way. In case you were wondering, yes, the suckers still work and yes, it’s creepy to have one attach to the inside of your cheek as you try to chew it. It was delightful (once I got past the whole it’s-still-moving-in-my-mouth part).

    The moral of the story? I’ll try anything once. If it’s good, then it’s game on. If it’s awful, well, I just add it to my list of stories to tell my grandkids.

    Reply
    • I think you win the award for “Must Disgustingly Entertaining Comment.” Wow. That said, although I don’t think I would eat foods like that in those forms, I would eat them if it were served to look like the photo above.

      Reply
  2. Even though I’m normally hesitant to try new/exotic foods, I think I would be willing to sample a cricket if it no longer looked like a bug. It took me years to finally give in and sample sushi, and once my eyes were opened to what I was missing out on, I regretted dragging my feet for so long. I’m not sure if crickets or other insects would be as delicious as other foods, but I’d be willing to try it out at least once. Also, after reading articles like this one (https://www.lifescript.com/food/articles/s/should_bug_parts_in_your_food_bug_you.aspx), I don’t think it would really be that big of a deal to knowingly eat an insect.

    Reply
    • Katy–That’s a great point that we already eat lots of bugs without even knowing it!

      I’m glad you branched out to try sushi. 🙂

      Reply
  3. I absolutely love this CONCEPT. They state that perception is one of their biggest barriers, but I think taste and consistency will be problems too. Objectively, tofu is really good for you. But as many times as I’ve tried it, I can’t get around the taste and consistency. By pulverizing it (in some cases) and adding it as a filler to other foods, I think they may gain some momentum. Also, getting their flavor from Spices and other food items with which they are served should help.

    My concern is more in the raising/production of the food. Granted, insects have preferred diets, and they grow much faster than other livestock. But insects get their bad rep because they have been known as historic carriers of disease. So, Ento will have to sell the organic conditions that the animals are raised in. Also, I think because of the short lifespan, and thus the speedy reproduction of insects, the genetics of domesticated insects may degrade quickly.

    But, this is all coming from a guy who swallowed a live goldfish once, so… I’m in the “I’ll Try Anything” camp.

    Reply
    • Red–That’s a great point about insects as carriers of disease. Not only is that a problem in producing the insects, but it’s yet another perception problem to battle. I wonder if Ento has taken precautions against this.

      Reply
  4. Thanks for sharing this! I would totally try their food—albeit hesitantly. I was hesitant about sushi too though I loved it once I tried it. Their game plan is fantastic and very true. I’d be much more willing to try a processed version of crickets than one that still looks like the bug. With the local/sustainable nature of the product it has definite potential to take off—if even just with foodies.

    Reply
    • I’m curious–how do you all feel about living conditions at an insect factory farm vs. those for pigs, chickens, and cows? I try to buy free-range meat and eggs because I want the animals to roam free on verdant fields while they’re alive, not be stuck in cages with 8 other animals. I feel for those animals. However, would that be the same with insects? I imagine greenhouses filled with millions of insects climbing on one another, feeding frenzies, and massive amounts of excrement attracting even more insects…and yet, they’re insects. They’re so far removed from humans that it’s hard to empathize with them. What do you think?

      Reply
      • We squish them, we swat at them and we spray them with chemicals without batting an eye on a daily basis. I think I’ll be fine.

        I remember doing a temple stay (2.5 days at a Buddhist type temple in Korea) and during one of the meditations, i couldn’t help but notice a spider making its way across the floor (I have ADD…I can’t meditate). One of the monks padded over to it, delicately scooped it up into his hands and took it outside, bending down to place it gently into the grass. I would have screamed (if I hadn’t been *so peaceful* from my meditating) and squished it if the monk hadn’t gotten to it before me.

        Reply

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