this post was submitted on 10 Jul 2024
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141
Singapore has approved 16 insects to eat as food: here’s everything you need to know (www.theguardian.com)
submitted 4 months ago by jeffw to c/news
44 comments fedilink hide all child comments
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[–] [email protected] 28 points 4 months ago (4 children)

As far as low environmental impact protein farms go, I personally prefer shellfish. They’re delicious, can survive mostly on algae (which I’d love to become another dietary mainstay), and can be used to clear heavy metals in non-dietary utilizations. Spirulina is delicious as well, but tends not to be a great heavy metal sink.

In the end, I just don’t love the texture of most bugs and I hope sustainable protein farming can branch out more in the future.

[–] jeffw 21 points 4 months ago (2 children)

I’m skeptical of any sort of seafood. Yes, it might be low environmental impact but we’ve overfished so much

[–] [email protected] 12 points 4 months ago

Very fair. I’m not a fan of the misrepresentation of modern fish farms as sustainable, either.

[–] shalafi 5 points 4 months ago

The idea would be to farm shellfish, like we do tilapia.

[–] zigmus64 18 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Maybe the insect protein farms can be used to develop food supplements instead of just being food by themselves.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

That's pretty much my stance, if you make my protein bars with them or sausages or whatever that don't look or taste like them, I couldn't care less. Putting a huge, wiggly, juicy larva in my mouth is a hard no though.

[–] ABCDE 9 points 4 months ago (1 children)

In the end, I just don’t love the texture of most bugs and I hope sustainable protein farming can branch out more in the future.

That's fair, and... to me the concept/look/smell is off-putting, but it's a huge industry in much of Asia.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 4 months ago

That's honestly how I feel about shellfish as well.

Shellfish is also a common allergy

[–] samus12345 3 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

can survive mostly on algae

This reminded me of our pet crayfish Pinchy. I found him crossing a road not near any water after a storm and he was missing a claw. We kept him in a plastic tub and did nothing but add water and give him algae wafers for the 5 more years he lived. He grew his claw back and seemed perfectly happy to sit in the same place and not have to search for food for the entire time. Talk about a low maintenance pet!

[–] nickel_for_your_thoughts 21 points 4 months ago

Crickets are actually pretty tasty when prepared well; they make good snacks for when you want something crunchy like potato chips but with a heartier nutritional profile. I've had them in both sweet and savory flavors. Crickets are a tiny bit gritty as a protein powder, but still pretty good. I haven't tried them as flour but it's probably similar to the protein powder.

It's not on the list, but I've always wanted to try honeypot ants.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

I don't know, Singapore has a population of around five and a half million... sixteen insects probably won't be enough for that many people... even if they were millipedes most citizens wouldn't even get one leg...

[–] Corvidae 9 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Allergenicity? Are any humans allergic to insects as food?

[–] [email protected] 14 points 4 months ago (2 children)

A friend of mine is epi-pen levels of allergic to shellfish and they wouldn’t let him try crickets in culinary school because there’s often an overlap.

[–] evasive_chimpanzee 7 points 4 months ago

With 17 year cicadas popping up, people were eating them like shrimp. There were actually warnings put out by health agencies not to try it if you had a shellfish allergy.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Huh, TIL. I tried crickets once as a kid and don't remember having any issues with it, but I can't order cream cheese wontons from the Chinese place near my house because it's the same fryer they use for squid. I found that out after I ordered them once and had a reaction. :/ Weirdly, I used to love crab rangoon before I went vegetarian and I never had a problem with it, and I don't remember having problems the few times I've tried shrimp either. Squid has always been a problem for me though, the few times I've tried it or been exposed.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago (1 children)

If it helps, that might be irrelevant for you! My friend mentioned that chitin was the issue (no idea if he’s right, please don’t take medical advice from me), so things like shrimp and crab are huge problems for him, but I think cephalopods less so

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago

Yeah, in my case it might just be molluscs (or possibly just squid, but I'm probably going to avoid escargot and mussels), which is less common but possible - crustaceans only is apparently much more common, but they apparently generally associate the two because it's not unusual for both to cause problems and with serious allergies it's better to not fuck around and find out.

[–] samus12345 2 points 4 months ago

Must have an allergy to mollusks, but not crustaceans.

[–] NickwithaC 7 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Bitches rather eat bugs than eat mushrooms.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

In Clarkson's farm last season he starts growing mushrooms in this tiny space and the production just looked insane, like come back two days later to kilos and kilos of mushrooms. I seriously considered starting this as a side gig but I don't have any space for it.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

The main issue is you can’t smell a TV show. Notice how he literally threw up inside his respirator?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Saw crispy cricket in a fancy package at the grocery store last week. Was intrigued but it was $15 for a fairly small package.

[–] samus12345 1 points 4 months ago

If they make 'em cheap I'll try it.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago

The ones in the thumbnail look like silkworm pupas, which I tried cooked in oil in Korea. It was pretty good actually, like a nutty taste. Bit oily though-- wonder if they'd be good roasted instead.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

The thing in the thumbnail, I don't know what it's called but it's tasty AF.

[–] [email protected] -4 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I'm pretty sure I don't need to know anything about which insects people in Singapore eat

[–] Numenor 2 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Explain

[–] [email protected] 9 points 4 months ago

The article says "here's everything you need to know"

While I suppose there's uses for the knowledge of what insects are legal to serve as food in Singapore, it isn't necessary knowledge unless I'm a restauranteur in Singapore thinking about insect food