Insects, They’re What’s For Dinner

Ew.  I saw a story about so-called "trendy" eateries that serve bugs!

No thanks.  I'm more a chicken or beef kinda guy.  And a big, greasy cheeseburger is probably my favorite thing to indulge in.

They say insects are high in protein and low in fat and cholesterol...and are actually better for you than most foods we eat here in the U.S.

Nope, still doesn't sound appetizing to me.  But, if you're interested in it, how about some "silk worm larvae stir fried with soy, sugar and pepper?"  Or maybe crickets or scorpions?

From a piece on KCTV in Kansas City:

"The silkworms have a texture of like popcorn except they have a creamy center," said Chef Kevin Oh of Typhoon Restaurant.

Typhoon is one of a handful of restaurants in America that serve patrons bugs on purpose, such as chili pepper-seasoned crickets, even scorpions on shrimp toast.

"Scorpions still have the stingers in them but they are dried," Oh said. "The poison is neutralized."  Scorpions are just one of 1,700 varieties of bugs that are safe for people to consume.

It's a modern-day novelty here in the states, but insects are part of a daily diet in most of the world.

Last year, the United Nations held a global conference on the benefits of eating insects, even suggesting it might be a good solution to world hunger.

Insects are high in protein and low in fat and cholesterol. Take crickets, for example, a six-ounce serving of these crunchy bugs have 60-percent less saturated fat as the same amount of ground beef. And the ants come marching in.

"They taste a little sour, tangy and have a hint of black pepper," Oh said.

Ants have 14 grams of protein per serving.

With a growing population and rising costs of food, the rest of the world may be on to something.