Published December 10, 2014

Mmm, bugs!

I was sitting around a table with friends at a Chinese restaurant I frequented, sipping soup and chatting about the latest video games we’d been playing, when I looked down and did a double-take.

There was a large bug in my soup.

This event would have sent most people to the bathroom hurling, right? Not me. My first thought was, “Is this supposed to be here?”

Of course it wasn’t, and I ate free that night (they insisted). However, I have purposely eaten bugs on more than one occasion in other establishments that actually featured them on the menu.

I find insects fascinating. They outnumber us on this planet two hundred million to one. They’re highly adaptable, and they look like tiny aliens. They’re also an economical and environmentally sound source of protein. So why aren’t more people eating them? Maybe it’s because we associate them with garbage and dirty places, or maybe it’s just because they’re creepy.

Exo is looking to change public perception and introduce insects as a viable source of nutrition. Their protein bars are packed with 40 crickets each. The crickets are cooked and processed into a powder before being mixed with other ingredients.

Crickets are inexpensive to keep and take up very little space, making them a superb environmentally friendly protein option. Consider them for your restaurant and get ahead of the game! I expect we’ll be seeing far more insect-based products on the market in the near future, and I for one can’t wait to try them.

[sc:mbtc]