Roasted grasshopper? Fried bee larvae? Locust stew? Yes please.
We’ve seen bugs become increasingly popular as a high nutrient, low-calorie protein source over recent years. With a broadening of minds due to an increase in international travel and people eating less meat due to high pricing and disease outbreaks, the thought of adding insects to our diet has become a reality.
Numerous restaurants around town have had bugs on the menu as an option for a few months now (they add a great crunch to salads), but this week’s opening of new takeaway joint BugOut NYC marks the first wholly insect-based menu the city has seen.
BugOut’s street takeaway stand in New York has seen queues stretching around corners for chef and founder Alejandro Schwiez’s unique lunch options. His herb-fried dragonflies and melt-in-your-mouth butter caterpillars have been the most popular dishes.
Schwiez, founder of BugOut says he has been cooking bugs for years using special recipes which he describes as a fusion of Argentinian and German cuisine.
It’s not just a novelty. They taste great and are a fantastic source of protein.
Marcel Dicke has been credited with kicking off the bug eating movement in the western world after much work convincing people of the benefits of eating our 6 legged friends (see his TED Talk below). With global food supplies are running low, he notes efficiency as a leading proponent of eating insects “If you take 10 kg of feed, you can get 1 kg of beef. Or you can get 9 kg of locust meat.” A very interesting thought when it comes to solving the food crisis.
Don’t live in New York? No problem, Schwiez says that the response has been so positive that he plans to open franchises nationwide.
Image credits: Kent Wang, Lucius Kwok