“There’s so much innovation behind edible insects and what it offers in sustainable food security,” Chef Joseph Yoon recently told me. Yoon, an Edible Insect Ambassador, is a world-renowned chef and thought leader in entomophagy (eating insects). In 2017 he started Brooklyn Bugs with the mission to normalize edible insects through delicious, creative, and educational programming.
“The fact that we can create a reliable, nutrient dense, and sustainable protein source with far fewer resources, and it can provide livelihoods in both rural and urban areas which support a healthy and biodiverse ecosystem is something we should be promoting. There are many science papers and reports that talk about the positive impact of edible insects and insect agriculture.”
Yoon says that the edible insect industry is at its fledgling stage with lots of potential on its horizon. But just because something is more sustainable does that mean people will want to make the switch? “The challenge of changing the minds of billions of people is to get them to change the mindset of insects as a pest to something that is edible and not just sustainable, but also delicious.”
Yoon says we can’t just replace something with an inferior product because it’s sustainable. It must be equal to or better. He also adds that his mission isn’t for everyone to give up meat entirely and switch to eating insects. He wants to diversify your pallet to include edible insects.
Edible Insect Production and Its Benefits.
Currently in North America we are producing tons of insects right now for human and animal consumption. And with that comes frass (excrement) – a tremendous organic fertilizer. By using the insect frass, we can mitigate the chemicals in our waste streams from the traditional fertilizers by using this byproduct of insect agriculture. Adding another positive sustainable layer to edible insects.
Black soldier flies (BSF), which are becoming a popular backyard chicken snack, are experiencing a huge area of growth, specifically in the organic waste management sector. “They can feed off restaurant scraps, and brewer’s yeast,” Yoon says. “Instead of going into landfills, we’re able to utilize those scraps and create a more efficient, sustainable food system.” And while these BSF are not meant for human consumption, with proper system checks they could be soon.
Who’s Already Consuming Edible Insects?
There are over 2 billion people around the world that regularly consume edible insects in over 80% of the world’s nations. With food being a cultural status symbol many countries that traditionally relied on insect protein are now backing away from it and going to a more Western Diet due to America’s global influence.
Yoon says there is a case study in Africa where they have started monoculture crops, to emulate the Western ways and they have had to start using fertilizers and pesticides which no longer make the insects that the children were eating on the fields available. This systems decline has led to a great iron deficiency.
“Eating insects is often mired as something for the apocalypse or something for poor countries,” Yoon says. “I’m reading more journals and media pieces that feature edible insects. I’m seeing it more on television and on cooking shows.”
Yoon appreciates that fact that when he sees edible insects featured, organizations are going away from a Fear Factor “I dare you to eat this” viewpoint and now focus on the sustainable angle and more importantly the “it tastes great” position.
“They don’t go into all the nuances of insect agriculture, but just that familiarity leads people to change their minds.”
In the 1880s, lobsters were used as a prison food. And then a law was introduced to prevent feeding lobster more than a couple of times a week because it was a disgusting sea “bug” and scavenger. They thought it was unjust to feed prisoners such a grotesque animal. During the transcontinental railroad chefs started to serve up lobster and people started to change their minds on this scrumptious scavenger. Today a lobster dish can be upwards of $100.
“It took a long time for people’s perceptions to change,” Yoon reflects. “What’s interesting is that lobsters had a sort of transition from being a sea “bug” to something in fine dining and really desired. They’re also arthropods just like insects. If we’re willing to eat these sea bugs, what’s our resistance to land bugs?”
Edible Insects as Cricket Powder Protein
When Yoon prepares edible insect dishes at events he provides the option of being able to see the insects in the meal or not. The choice is yours. One easy gateway to eating insects is through the form of cricket powder. The crickets are either roasted or dehydrated or even microwaved. Yoon says each company has their own sort of process, but essentially whole crickets are ground into a powder. Some powders are super fine while others are grainier.
“The flavor is very different because of the process in which you’re drying it. If you think about if you have a piece of bread and you toast it, you grill it, you fry it in butter, you microwave it, it’s all going to have a different sort of flavor at the end of the day.”
Two tablespoons of cricket powder can have anywhere from 12 to 15 grams of protein. By weight, cricket powder can range from 50% all the way up to 80% protein. For a post workout snack or to subside your hunger, a smoothie with a scoop of cricket powder is a great choice.
Yoon has incorporated cricket powder in over 200 recipes. For baked goods you usually can substitute the cricket powder up to 25% of the flour for the recipe. Some additional cooking ideas for cricket powder are:
- Adding to meat or bean burger mixes
- Blending in a dessert cream and sauce
- Coating for deep frying (tempura batter/panko crust substitute or add on)
- Fortifying a soup
- Mixing into omelets, smoothies, baked goods, stuffed peppers
- Thickening savory sauces and soups
Other Arthropods and Bugs You Can Eat
- Black ants – “They are really delicious and amazing. I think that’s one of the most eye-opening edible insects because they have formic acid as a defense mechanism, and it gives it this unique acidic sort of flavor.”
- Scorpions – “They’re brined in salt and then sun dried, and it’s almost like you’re eating like a little baby shrimp, but a lot more fun and cool to eat.”
- Grasshoppers – “The grasshoppers I get are already seasoned and they’re fried with some chili peppers and lemon and salt. Great way to snack, as evidenced by the Seattle Mariners who sell out of grasshoppers at all their baseball games.”
- Mealworms – “Incredible and also super delicious. They have a little more of an earthier sort of flavor. They pair really well with a lot of desserts and mushroom dishes, but you can also find a lot of mealworms and mealworm powder also readily available.”
- Superworms – “Not as readily available, but they interestingly have a very cheesy note to them.”
Yoon stresses that it’s important to purchase your insect products responsibly. Use common sense. Don’t gather insect roadkill and if wild collecting make sure to check if pesticides were used recently. Also think about the volume you’re collecting.
“I know your readers care about Mother Earth and the ecosystems, and so I don’t think they’re going to just go out and take every single ant that they see or cricket.”
Today, it’s easy to find edible insects online from responsible vendors, and there are even people are now rearing their own insects in totes at home.
Generally, Yoon has found an overwhelming acceptance at his events because he first educates and talks to people about the reasoning why edible insects are good for the triple bottom line: people, profit, and planet. He says it’s great that people are experimenting with edible insects but he doesn’t want it to be a one and done experience.
“What I’m really striving towards this year is how do we create behavioral change? How can people incorporate insects into their lifestyle so they can eat it once week or every other week? That’s something that I’m really excited to see.”
Kenny Coogan earned a Master’s Degree in Global Sustainability and has published over 400 articles on pets, livestock and gardening. He lives on a 1-acre homestead with chickens and ducks, managing a permaculture-style landscape. Coogan also runs a successful carnivorous plant nursery in Tampa. Listen to Coogan co-host podcasts by visiting Mother Earth News and Friends Podcast.
