Mmm...bugs

[Scythe13]

Hi everyone.

Completely got distracted and forgot to write this up.

First off, don't eat bugs. There, that's my legal disclosure.

Okay, now, how I ate the crickets.

First stop on my meal plan...Pets at Home = 1st stop for the bugs.

First reaction to the crickets....? They turned my stomach! They absolutely stink. They literally smell like poo. Minging!!! I ain't eating that!

Get home with my poo stink crickets. Not eating them after they've been wallowing and eating their own excriment! So I put them into a small plastic container with some carrot, to clear them out from their last meal. Left them over night and hoped the wife didn't find them.

Next up was trying to decide how to cook them. I decided on a protein bar and on a stir fry. Not at the same time, of course. Protein bar stir fry....mmm....we could be on to something here!!! Haha

Okay, so, now that I have recipes and cold clean crickets, what next? Kill the crickets. To do this I got a hammer.....haha, I'm kidding. Popped them into the freezer for the next 24 hours. Some crickets can defrost, but not the normal black crickets, so that did it for me. Dead.

After that, roasted the ones for the protein bars. Smashed them up, then just mixed them in. Really nice! Chocolatey, like the protein powder.

Stir fry was even simpler. Just threw in some frozen crickets and cooked them as if they were chicken. Simple as that!

The texture isn't anything magical. Crunchy outside, and warmer internal sauce. Might roast them next time before I stir fry them.

Flavour...a bit nutty, which I found odd.

One word of warning, the shells contain Chitin (I think that's the stuff) the same as shell fish. This is what people allergic to shell fish react to. So if you're allergic to shell fish, avoid crickets.

All in all, a good experience and lesson in culinary diversity.

Will I be doing it again? HELL NO!!! For a meal it costs a load more than it should! Would have gotten 4 chicken breasts for the price of 1 pack of crickets! Unimpressed!

If I were to breed them, then it may be reliable, and sustainable. But at current live costs, not worth the expenditure.

[Mortblanc]

Do the names;

Bug Breath

Cricket Cruncher

or

Crust Crapper

apply here?

[Steve]

Let the chickens eat the crickets, then eat the chickens. Everybody's happy.

[Barneyboy]

not that nice pal are they ,but if you had to could you live on them ,ithink yes

[Highlander]

Well done for doing the experiment, I have tried bugs, but not crickets, I fried my worms, beetles and mixed in chopped nettles and dandelions,... not that bad a taste,.. I guess the taste improves with your hunger

[Kenneth Eames]

If people are squemish about eating bugs then, don't do it. If in a Survival situation and you eat one, it could turn your stomach and cause you to throw up. This would mean that you would have lost whatever nutrient that was in your stomach. If food is scarce then it could weaken you and maybe hasten the possibility of death. If you are squemish DON'T. Kenneth Eames.

[Highlander]

I think that if you dont like the idea of eating bugs, then its best to disguise the taste, either by adding bugs to your limited food supplies in order to make your food last longer,
... or to cook them with other things like salads

I admit that I didnt eat my bugs on their own,...I didnt even chew them, but swallowed quickly....

[Skean Dhude]

I forsee chef throwing a few bugs, worms and sprouts in the pot without anyone knowing.

[Scythe13]

They really weren't that bad.

The initial smell minged, and the thought of it was much worse than the taste. They were really not too bad at all. I'd definitely eat them again...if they were cheaper!!!