You may have heard people talking about eating bugs recently; the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UNFAO) released a report in May of 2013 prescribing a future diet of entomophagy (insect eating) as one solution to the pressing issue of how to feed 9 billion people in 2050 without further taxing an already depleted planet.
If you’re an American your initial reaction may have been shock, surprise, amusement or disgust. In the United States, insects are not usually considered edible. But many cultures around the world eat insects on a regular basis for their nutrition and flavor, and in some places insects fetch a higher market price than beef.
In the United States, Little Herds works to introduce this overlooked ingredient into western cuisine by providing information through its website and events. Intrepid restaurants who have taken up the torch already include the famed tables of Michelin-starred Noma in Copenhagen, the sustainable menu of Miya’s Sushi in Connecticut, and Austin Texas’s renowned Qui.
Insects (usually mealworm or cricket) can be processed to remove parasites and bacteria, then ground into a fine powder. The powder is then combined with flours or other ingredients to create diverse and familiar goodies such as Hopper Bars (snack bars made with nuts, fruits and chocolate), Chapul cricket bars, Exo bars, tortilla chips made with black beans and rice by Six Foods or homemade Chocolate Chirp Cookies (see recipe).
Insect flour has a nutty flavor that lends itself well to baked goods. Innovative home cooks have made muffins, brownies, cakes, pie-crusts, pastas, tortillas, breads, biscotti and more using insect flour as a way to fortify the nutritious content of the food without sacrificing flavor, texture or consistency. It can even be used in gluten free and paleo recipes. It’s important to note that insects, which are genetically similar to shellfish, may trigger shellfish allergies.
Because insect flour is naturally oily (similar to flaxseed flour), when substituting for wheat flour use between one- quarter and one-third less the flour a recipe calls for. To purchase it, visit In.Gredients in Austin, Texas, or online in the USA from World Entomophagy, or in Canada from Next Millennium Farms. For suppliers in other countries, contact Little Herds for assistance.
Little Herds’ Gluten-Free Chocolate Chirp Cookies
Ingredients
- •93 grams (¾ cup) all-purpose gluten-free flour (a blend of potato, brown rice and tapioca flour, or other all-purpose gluten-free flour)
- •93 grams (¾ cup) 100% pure cricket powder
- •62 grams (½ cup) coconut flour
- •1 teaspoon baking soda
- •½ teaspoon salt
- •2 large eggs, preferably free-range
- •227 grams (8 ounces) butter, softened but not melted
- •150 grams (¾ cup) sugar
- •165 grams (¾ cup) brown sugar, packed
- •2 teaspoons Madagascar vanilla
- •1 cup chopped crickets, walnuts or pecans, (crickets obviously preferred), optional
- •312 grams (11 ounces) semi-sweet or 60% cocoa chocolate chips
- •Sea salt (optional)
Preparation
Preheat oven to 190ºC (350ºF). Combine gluten-free flour, cricket powder, coconut flour, baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt; stir and set aside. In a separate bowl, beat eggs until blended and set aside.
In large mixing bowl, beat butter with sugar and brown sugar at medium speed until creamy and lightened in color. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix on low speed until incorporated. Blend flour mixture into creamed mixture in parts, making sure all the dry flour is moistened. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips
Chill the dough for a few hours or, for best (puffy) texture, overnight.
Form into small balls or drop by tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheets or baking pans lined with parchment paper. If desired, sprinkle a pinch of sea salt on each ball of dough.
Bake until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on a rack.
Banana Crunch n’ Cricket Muffins
Courtesy of Little Herds
Ingredients
For the batter
- •187 grams (1½ cups) cricket flour (cricket powder combined with all purpose flour)
- •5 ml (1 teaspoon) baking soda
- •5 ml (1 teaspoon) baking powder
- •2.5 ml (½ teaspoon) nutmeg
- •2.5 ml (½ teaspoon) cinnamon
- •2.5 ml (½ teaspoon) salt
- •3 bananas, slightly over-ripe and mashed
- •100 grams (½ cup) white sugar
- •55 grams (¼ cup) packed light brown sugar
- •5 ml (1 teaspoon) Madagascar vanilla
- •1 egg, lightly beaten
- •75 grams (⅓ cup) butter, melted
For the crumble topping
- •73 grams (⅓ cup) light brown sugar
- •30 ml (2 tablespoons) all-purpose flour
- •1.25 ml (¼ teaspoon) ground cinnamon
- •15 ml (1 tablespoon) butter
- •61 grams (½ cup) finely chopped crickets, walnuts or pecans (optional)
Preparation
For the batter: Preheat oven to 177o C (350oF). Lightly grease a muffin pan, or line with muffin cups.
In large bowl, mix cricket flour, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt; set aside.
In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, light brown sugar, vanilla, egg and melted butter. Mix banana mixture into flour mixture until combined. Pour batter into muffin pan or cups.
For the crumble topping: In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Mix in butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins. Top with crickets or nuts if desired.
Bake until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes.