Why Eating Crickets Might Save the Planet
Staring into the eyes of the little creature tucked between my fore-finger and thumb, I had to remind myself that I was on an important mission. However, the visible antennas and legs that dangled from the dried, lifeless body were making it harder to stomach than I had anticipated. I closed my eyes and reminded myself: It’s just protein — just like meat, eggs, and beans. I put the cricket on my tongue and bit down, feeling it give way under my teeth with a soft crunch.
Eating bugs isn’t exactly a new concept. Known as entomophagy, the practice of eating insects has been practiced throughout the world for thousands of years. From the insects long eaten by tribes in Africa and Australia, to the popular modern snack of crispy-fried locusts and beetles enjoyed in Thailand, the U.N. estimates that at least 2 billion people — nearly a quarter of the world’s population — eat insects regularly. There are over 1,900 edible insect species that have been documented to date including beetles, caterpillars, bees, ants, locusts, termites, flies, and, of course, crickets.
While some might view the consumption of these insects as novelty — a mere act of adventurous eating — the environmental benefits of entomophagy are no laughing matter.
When it comes to traditional sources of animal protein — cows, chickens, and pigs — many scientists and environmentalists agree that our current meat production system is not sustainable. By 2050, the global demand for meat will double as the world population grows rapidly. The farming necessary for the current meat output is already considered by many to be environmentally devastating, so doubling that could potentially lead to catastrophe.
The production of beef is particularly costly to the environment. To produce a single pound of beef requires 13 pounds of grain and an estimated 2,500 gallons of water. Today, up to a third of the earth’s land is used for grazing and growing crops, and in the U.S. alone, 70 perfect of our grain goes to feeding livestock. Not to mention, livestock output a substantial amount of greenhouse gasses — the primary cause of global warming. In 2006, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the U.N. estimated that around 18 percent of human-caused greenhouse gasses worldwide were the result of livestock. However, some experts believe this 18 percent is a vast underestimate — with some environmental leaders estimating that figure is actually closer to 50 percent.
More: Why Cricket Chips Could Be The Next Big Thing
So what’s the solution to such a beefy problem? Alternate sources of protein are a good start. In comparison to beef, insects like crickets produce considerably less greenhouse gases, and don’t necessarily require land clearing in order to expand production, since the insects can be harvested in versatile and confined spaces. Crickets, specifically, require 12 times less feed than cattle, four times less feed than sheep, and half as much feed as chickens and pigs to produce the same amount of protein.
The farming of crickets could also make a societal contribution as well, as insect harvesting has the potential to substantially benefit low-income and developing nations, as it requires little capital and technology and can be done in urban environments, as well as rural.
More: Should You Be Eating Crickets?
Insect consumption is on the rise in the United States. In New York City alone you can find bugs on the menus of many restaurants, from grasshopper tacos (Chapulines) and quesadillas at trendy Mexican spots, to fried crickets and grasshoppers seasoned with soy and pepper at Thai eateries. Even cricket burgers were a surprise hit for one NYC restaurant.
In fact, crickets, which are most consumed in Western culture in the form of cricket “flour,” contain more iron than spinach, as much calcium as milk, all the amino acids, and loads of omega3 and vitamin B12, making them an unexpected nutritional powerhouse.
In order to make cricket flour, crickets are typically harvested after 8 weeks, sterilized, and dried. They can either be dried in the sun, freeze-dried, placed in a food dehydrator, or baked in an oven. Then, the dried crickets are ground into a fine grain size until it’s the consistency of flour.
Containing 317 grams of protein per pound, cricket flour (the name of which is a bit of a misnomer) is more comparative to protein powder than the baking ingredient. In order to create baked goods with the cricket product, as companies like Bitty foods have been doing, the cricket flour is often combined with other gluten- and grain-free ingredients, like tapioca and almond meal.
More: The Rise of the Insect Bar
The flour has a distinctly rich, earth flavor. The taste is at once toasty, nutty, and bright, with a slight kick to it that’s unlike any other ingredient. Some have compared it to dark toast, and others to a mix between hazelnut and buckwheat.
As this cricket flour is embraced by more people seeking a sustainable source of animal protein, companies have begun to cash in on the conscious craze, producing protein bars, chips, and granola containing the earthy secret ingredient. In order to get a taste and feel for cricket flour, I tried out many of the top cricket products on the market today (see below). And alas, seeking a genuine entomological experience, I also sought out to taste the protein source in its purest form — a whole, dried cricket.
That’s how I found myself face-to-face with the creature. I wasn’t used to facing my meat head-on: Beady eyes, thin wings, frail torso. I wondered if he had had a little cricket family somewhere. But, I reminded myself, it was just an animal, like any other. Actually, scratch that. It was an animal that could possibly offer a solution to the mounting food and environmental crises — and that’s certainly nothing to chirp at.
Read on for more information on each of these cricket-based products, and how they compare.
All photos: Gillie Houston for Yahoo Food
The facts: Hopper brand produces 3 flavors of granola: Cranberry & Almond, Cacoa & Cayenne, and Toasted Coconut. The Toasted Coconut, which I tried, is grain and gluten-free and contains 10 grams of protein per ½ cup serving, each of which contains 40 crickets. The cost for one bag of granola is $10, not including shipping.
The taste: Opening the package, I noticed it smelled like a typical chocolatey coconut granola—how could you lose? However, the flavor was unlike any granola I’ve ever tried. Though the texture is the same as your average granola, and you can certainly taste the nuts and raisins throughout, there’s an earthy tone to the flavor. The taste is like a savory, slightly spicy play on regular granola. Surprisingly, the recognizable flavor that stood out the most was not in fact coconut, but ginger.
The facts: Chapul protein bars, which come in four flavors, are dairy, gluten, and soy free. Each bar contains 8 grams of protein. A pack of 12 bars costs $34, retail.
The taste: I tried three out of the four of Chapul’s bar flavors, the one exception being matcha.
Chaco bar: This was a really tasty take on a peanut butter and chocolate protein bar. The texture and flavor were reminiscent of fudge, but with that same spicy undertone I noticed in the granola.
Thai bar: Advertised as a coconut ginger lime bar, the ginger was the prominent player here. If you like ginger, this is for you. The coconut is very subtle and I didn’t really notice much of the lime at all. The texture was nice — not too chewy, but still felt substantial.
Aztek bar: Packed with dark chocolate, coffee and cayenne, this bar had a great rich and spicy flavor. The cayenne definitely offers a kick of spice that works well with the earthy tones of the cricket flour. If you love dark chocolate and cocoa in general, this is a great bar for you.
The facts: Produced by the Six Foods brand, Chirps cricket flour chips come in Natural, Barbecue, and Cheddar flavors. They are non-GMO, gluten-free, have no artificial colors or flavors, and have 40 percent less fat than regular potato chips. The chips contain 6 grams of protein per 1 ounce serving. Three 5oz. bags will cost you $15.99, plus shipping costs.
The taste
Natural: The first thing I noticed about the “natural” Chirps chip, which is basically their version of a tortilla chip, was its substantial texture. This thing was thick. Because of that, I instantly singled this out as the perfect chip to enjoy with guac or other dips; there’s no way its going to break under pressure. The flavor was nutty and warm, with that same distinctive cricket-y kick of spice at the end. Overall, these felt like the less salty child of a potato chip and tortilla chip. All-in-all, a solid option for your chip needs.
Barbecue: These looked — and almost tasted — the same as the natural chips, but with a thin coating of BBQ. If you’re looking for a lot of barbecue flavor, these aren’t the chip for you. Perhaps its hard to nail down a faux-BBQ taste while using all natural flavors, but the barbecue was in fact an extremely subtle addition, more like an afterthought than the main event. The BBQ flavor I could taste was sweet and slightly smoky, but definitely unlike your average barbecue snack flavor.
Cheddar: The smell of these was pretty off-putting, reminiscent of chemical. The taste itself was extremely salty, but I definitely wouldn’t describe the taste as anything resembling cheese. Once again, the flavor wasn’t prominent, and wasn’t particularly enjoyable. These were my least favorite of the Chirps flavors.
Exo Protein Bars
The facts: Perhaps the best-known brand in the cricket flour game, Exo protein bars come in 4 flavors and are gluten, soy, grain, and dairy-free. They contain 10 grams of protein in each bar. A box of 12 bars is $36, plus shipping costs.
The taste
PB&J protein bar: The texture of this bar is intense; you need to chew on it for awhile before it goes all the way down. It’s also going to stick to the crevices of your mouth, so be prepared. The flavor was good, kind of like a sophisticated, upscale PB&J — with crickets! Plus, the fruit flavor was very natural. The taste and texture was like a fig newton, but definitely chewier.
Cocoa nut: This bar was very crumbly. Very, very crumbly. The second I peeled open the package, it crumbled into a million pieces all over my desk, which is a little too frail for my taste. I noted with interest that this one could be so crumbled while the PB&J is so dense.The flavor packed a definite cocoa punch, but was very sweet and bright. If you like dark, almost savory chocolate, this isn’t the bar for you.
Blueberry vanilla: This bar was extreme on the blueberry flavor, to the point that after taking a bite and chewing it down, the blueberry lingered for awhile. In a good way. If you love blueberries, this bar was made for you. If not, skip it. Out of all of the Exo bars, this one also had the best texture, almost as dense as the PB&J but much more manageable. This was definitely my favorite of the Exo bars, and the one I’d be likely to buy again.
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