Bugs glorious bugs!

When you’re sat watching Harry Redknapp munching on some bugs in ‘I’m a celebrity get me out of here’ you may not realise that bugs are going to play a big part in the future of food. 

Cyril Barthelme, a baker based in Edinburgh uses cricket flour as a replacement for soft white wheat flour in his cakes. Inevitably the public were weary about trying the cricket cakes but majority of the feedback actually supported the use of the alternative as it had no significant change on the flavour!  

Now, we understand the cricket flour works well in cakes but what about bread?

Well a Finnish bakery actually uses a mixture of cricket and scorpion flour with wheat flour to make bread. They claim it makes no difference in flavour but just a increase in the protein content. In fact, they say it's far more sustainable as the farming requires less land, water and feed. Although, many consumers have said the thought of eating these bugs makes them feel they're completing their very own bush tucker trial! 

I've found researching this topic most interesting and I hope you have too, below I have listed some pros and cons I've come across of using this alternative:  

Positives
-Sustainable 
-Nutritious 
-Easy to farm
-Gluten free 

Negatives
-Aesthetically unpleasing
-Expensive to source  
-Only 6 European counties allow insects to be marketed for food consumption

Thanks for reading!
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Keep baking, 
Holly Weeks