London, Jan 2 (IANS) Ever thought of eating bread and biscuits made of worms? A woman insect breeder in Australia has now come up with a recipe where worms are roasted and ground to make flour-like powder from which various foodstuff are made.
Skye Blackburn is an entomologist — one who studies insects. She breeds edible insects at an insect farm near Sydney, Sky News reported. Blackburn sells the bugs as novelty gifts. She puts crickets and worms into lollipops or covers them with chocolate as a tasty treat.
‘Eating insects is a fairly new concept. It is a little bit unique and most people wouldn’t expect to get a gift like this but they have been really popular this Christmas’ Blackburn said.
The entomologist said she has regular customers that include doctors and university professors. They buy the bugs in frozen form to mix them into curries and stews.
‘They use it in their everyday diet. They are really aware of the nutritional value of the bugs compared to some of the meat products people get,’ she said.
Blackburn said she prepares the bugs in a way which meets Australia’s strict food hygiene laws.
‘We kill them ethically, we freeze them which puts them to sleep so they don’t feel any kind of pain. We keep them in a very sterile environment feeding them organic grains and vegetables, which increases the flavour of the bugs themselves,’ she said.
The insects have reportedly become so popular that Blackburn is planning to expand her menu. ‘We are adding water bugs, scorpions and even tarantulas,’ she said.
