• Tweet

A caramelized locust is used to decorate a cake made of insects

A cupcake made of insects

RELATED ARTICLES

• Time for some food for thought
• Artist in the kitchen
• Indigenous food on menu
• 'Smileys' on menu at upmarket restaurant
• Sishebo winner's big plans
• Meat is now a special treat
• Tips on buying and saving on costs
• World in Photos
• Know what's in your food
• Premier Classe on track with gourmet meals
• Meet the lady who made Nelson Mandela's birthday cake
• Give your family a delicious and inexpensive meal
• Forget cupcakes, there's a new sweet treat
• Staggering R8m prize money for MasterChef competition - PHOTOS
• That African taste
• Reza reveals his other spicy skills
• Love is secret ingredient

Need more protein in your diet? Try adding worms to your chocolate muffin recipe mix, or spice up a mushroom risotto with a sprinkling of grasshoppers.

"The Insect Cookbook", which comes out this week and is written in Dutch, contains these and other unusual recipes and is intended to promote insects as a source of protein.

"I see this as the next step towards the introduction of insects on restaurant menus in the Netherlands. I also expect people to buy the book and start cooking with insects at home," said Marcel Dicke, a professor at Wageningen University which specializes in food and food production.

To mark the book launch in Wageningen, specialist insect chef Henk van Gurp will try to set a record for cooking the world's biggest grasshopper pie.

Research by scientists at the university showed that insects could provide the best source of protein to meet the needs of a rising population. Currently, 70 percent of agricultural land is used for livestock production.

Dicke said that with the world population expected to hit 9 billion by 2050, it will be difficult to provide enough protein for everyone because there will not be enough land for raising livestock.

The nutritional value of insects is similar to those of meat, and the emission of greenhouse gases from insect production is a hundred times lower than in pig production, the university said.

Dicke said that the biggest resistance to the use of insects as the source of proteins is likely to be in countries where people are used to eating big portions of meat.

Those who can't be bothered to shop, prepare and cook the bugs for themselves can sample them at a handful of restaurants in the Netherlands.

Specktakel restaurant in the town of Haarlem, just west of Amsterdam, served customers a five-course menu of insect dishes last month, while this month's special is meat pie sprinkled with nuts, seeds and worms.

But Mark Van Kimmenaede, a chef at Specktakel, does not expect insects to become hugely popular because of their particular taste.

"It does not go well with fish, for example," he said.

"It is nice to have one or two dishes with insects on the menu, but it has to stay fun."

Comments

• Sign in or sign up to comment

Sat May 25 19:25:57 SAST 2013 ::

Apr 18, 2012

NevusAuvius

this i will bu'y for Galfrend plus she looks like a Locust
Report Abuse

Apr 18, 2012

dimpho_4U

I love cooking but this ,Hell to the "no" bosss, this belongs to the weirdo land,
Report Abuse

Apr 18, 2012

Iwe

Kari masonja aa ratiwa, anyone who can create juicy recipe on these worms plsssssssssssssssssssssssss????

Report Abuse

Apr 18, 2012

Shredder

Insects are rich in protein
Report Abuse

Apr 18, 2012

tlebebe

masotja, nhlwa makkhura le tsie are very nutritious delicacies.
Report Abuse

Apr 18, 2012

TKay

yaaak...no thanks I will pass on this recipe book
Report Abuse

Apr 18, 2012

dimpho_4U

oh come on...predictability is a bore @Ikwe masonja is the exception mos...check that cupcake tho!
Report Abuse

Apr 18, 2012

Tsokombela

i love masonja, grashopers & manjenje, but those worms on dat cup cake, hell no, makes me wana puke, yek
Report Abuse

Apr 18, 2012

tumzangwana

But Mark Van Kimmenaede, a chef at Specktakel, ..........."It is nice to have one or two dishes with insects on the menu, but it has to stay fun."
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

wa gafa wena.

Report Abuse

Apr 18, 2012

Revulshionary

Its good to see ... No one denigrates our local delicacy... The mopani Worm..

The biggest caterpillar munchers in the word are luckily not bigoted.... Mooi So... !!!...




Report Abuse

Read all 26 comments