[Entm-researchstaff] Gourmet food

[Jocelyn Millar]

All,

Maybe we should start teaching cooking classes, see below!

jm



The University of British Columbia (UBC) will be having four teams of
Faculty of Land and Food Systems students engage in a bug culinary showdown
on Tuesday.

“This competition is the culmination of my applied biology course ‘Insects
as Food and Feed,’ where we spent the semester learning about the benefits
and risks of eating and using insects,” said UBC entomology instructor
Yasmin Akhtar in a Monday press release.

“One of my goals is to reduce the negative perceptions people may have of
eating bugs.”

Akhtar called this competition “a fun way to raise awareness among students
about the nutritional value of insects, their role in sustainable food
systems and the importance of considering alternative protein sources.”

In this competition, UBC said students will showcase bug dishes that are
delicious, nutritious and environmentally friendly. It added esteemed
judges will weigh in on the taste, texture and ingenuity of the dishes.

While bugs are tasty, Akhtar said there are two main benefits to eating
them.

The first benefit is many bugs are nutritious, as they are high in protein,
calcium, good fatty acids and vitamins. For example, Mexican grasshopper
species Sphenarium purpurascens contain 48 grams of protein per 100 grams,
compared to 27 grams of protein per 100 grams of beef.

The second benefit is environmental. Rearing insects requires less space,
fewer resources such as water and less feed.

If people are wary of eating insects whole, she said they can incorporate
insect flours and powders into their diets. People can purchase insect
flour online and replace wheat flour in any recipe with it for tasty,
high-protein baked products such as muffins or as filling in samosas.

She added barbecuing insects is another great option, as it absorbs flavour
well and drys them out to become crunchy. Her favourite is barbecuing
crickets.

Since some insects live in gross environments, she said they can be
infested with microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi and other viruses.
Like other animal proteins, she said they should be treated before they are
consumed by using heat to boil or cook them.

The event will start on Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. at Vij’s Kitchen Room 130
2205 East Mall.





Jocelyn G. Millar

Professor

Dept of Entomology

University of California

3401 Watkins Drive

Riverside CA 92521, USA

Ph: 1 951 452 5452
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