John Myers
In Asia they have long ended up on the plate as a treat, now they are increasingly coming to Europe: edible insects. Snacks made from crickets, mealworms, and grasshoppers are high in protein and more climate-friendly than meat. Reason enough to try them!
Natural pleasure: insects
Admittedly, the disgust factor is high. But if you can overcome yourself and make friends with eating insects, you will discover a new world of healthy snacks. Because the nutritional values of insects are impressive. They’re high in protein and enzymes, filling fat, and low in carbs—similar to many types of meat. In contrast to beef, pork, and poultry, however, they are more sustainable in production. Mealworms, grasshoppers, or crickets need much less food, water, and space, are almost completely edible, and do not produce any gases that are harmful to the climate. No wonder science is looking at insects as the sustainable food of the future. In Germany, you can buy them freeze-dried, deep-frozen, live, or as insect flour and use them in your own snack recipes or enjoy them in processed products such as insect bars.
Not all insects are edible
If you want to make insect snacks yourself, you should first pay attention to the edibility. Going hunting in the garden and cooking up the next creepy crawly you find is not a good idea: there could be poisonous or diseased specimens among them. It is better to buy animals that are explicitly intended for consumption or to breed your own mealworms. Ready-made insect snacks often contain popular species such as rove crickets, house crickets, locusts, buffalo worms, and ant larvae. Mealworms form the basis for patties, which you can use to prepare an insect burger as a healthy alternative to fast food. In this form, in which the crawling animals are no longer visible, many people find it easier to taste them.
Make insect snacks yourself
If you take heart, you can easily make delicious insect snacks from the whole animals. Frying, grilling, baking, or roasting are simple ways of preparing it. In the case of locusts, the inedible jumping legs and, if necessary, the wings can simply be removed; worms can be used directly. For frozen goods, it is best to follow the instructions on the packaging. Enjoy the heated crawling animals with a chocolate or caramel sauce, crispy breaded and hearty seasoned, or as a topping for desserts. There are tons of recipe ideas for insect snacks!
