Taste Test: Do Edible Bugs Belong On The Dinner Table?

Edible insects are so hot right now. Once an exotic oddity that could only be found in far-flung continents, entomophagy (that is, the consumption of insects as food) is now making its way into numerous Aussie restaurants. But do fried bugs really belong on the dinner table? In a bid to find out, we chowed down on some crickets and mealworms. (Mmmm… spindly.)

Yesterday, I attended a Microsoft developer roundtable at Icon Park’s Stanley Street Merchants restaurant. Among the dishes served to guests were fried crickets and mealworms in fermented chilli. These were placed on the table without warning or explanation. As you can imagine, there were quite a few leftovers.

Intrigued, I decided to bring a takeaway box of these critters back to the office. How would the cast-iron stomachs of my teammates react to these segmented offerings? Check out the below video for the official Allure Media verdict.

Personally, I quite liked them. They kind of tasted like salted, oddly chewy peanuts. If they were reasonably priced, I’d happily snack on these things like popcorn. Mind you, I’m probably not the best judge when it comes to acceptable foodstuffs.


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