Insects - The Food Of The Future !?

Author: Victoria Aly Time for reading: ~2 minutes Last Updated: August 08, 2022

In 80% of the countries in the world, in fact, insects are the food of the present.

In fact, insects could be the food of the future for Europe and America north of the Rio Grande. For most of the world, insects are the food of the present - over 1,000 species of insects are routinely consumed in 80% of countries around the world, most of them in the tropics. According to the UN Committee on Agriculture, insects are a key element in meeting the nutritional needs of the world's rapidly growing population. Although they are hardly part of the menu in rich countries and regions, the latter are actually a small part of the global population.

However, it is not only economic factors that are the reason for the widespread use of insects as food. Chapulins - a type of grasshopper consumed throughout Mexico, for example, are a healthy alternative to meat - roasted, they contain as much as 60% protein and only 6% fat.

Although the idea of eating locusts is foreign and even disgusting to many Westerners, this may soon change. This month, Wahaca , a Mexican fast food chain with global ambitions, began offering chapulini in its restaurants in London. While many declare the move a shameless PR trick, the chain's management claims that it is a continuation of a long tradition of restaurants offering interesting and delicious food, which at the same time provokes customers to take the next step - to the future and their health by replacing meat, at least in part, with a much healthier alternative .

Although the need to improve eating habits in modern society is undeniable, an Air Force team is working to see if this is the best way to achieve the goal.

Asked if they would try a free portion, Kate Franklin and Bella Lawrence, casual visitors to the Wahaca restaurant , decided on this "bold move" only after staff assured them that the food was actually delicious . After halving the portion, the two Londoners make sure that this is really the case - "the food is very tasty, with a fresh, lemon flavor." However, 22-year-old Bella is still unsure of the commercial potential of the venture, looking at the "insect faces" staring at her from the plate.

According to Dean Hughes, the restaurant's manager, sales of the dish are growing slowly but surely. According to him, the horse meat scandal in Europe gives additional impetus to sales. However, even the most optimistic forecasts of the management are still far from the Mexican everyday life - a big bowl of roasted locusts, served in a bar, eaten as an "appetizer" with a few cold beers ...

Insects - The Food Of The Future !?

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