A new type of flour is hitting the market, and it's not like your grandma's Gold Medal. Welcome to the world of cricket flour, an eco-friendly, protein-packed alternative making waves.
Nutrinsect is shaking things up by using crickets to create a nutritious and sustainable flour option. Founded by the Cianni brothers. Nutrinsect is an Italian food producer who was just given a license to make and sell cricket-based food for human consumption.
Why Are Crickets Being Used for Flour?
Crickets aren't just chirpy creepy-crawlies anymore. The flour that's made out of them is full of protein, vitamins, fiber, and mineral-rich, making them a potential superfood. OK, I know you are thinking of that roach-gruel scene in that movie Snowpiercer but c'mon. Americans were freaked out by sushi up until the 1960s. We got over it. Plus, raising hexapods requires significantly less water and space compared to traditional livestock, making the little buggers an entomological sustainable option.
Overcoming the "Eww" Factor
While the idea of eating insects may cause some furrowed eyebrows and trigger gag reflexes, Nutrinsect is on a mission to get us into six-legged ingredients. They emphasize that their grasshoppers are bred in a sterile, controlled environment, and they are 100% Italian-grown. We're not sure how that makes it less icky other than adding the word Italian to something somehow makes it seem more delicious.
Curious About The Flavor?
While it might not replace your all-purpose wheat flour just yet, Nutrinsect describes the taste as nutty and reminiscent of pumpkin seeds, hazelnuts, and even a hint of shrimp, because I mean, shrimp are just sea crickets ain't they?
The Future of Insect Food?
Nutrinsect's cricket flour is still new, but it has the potential to revolutionize the food chain. With its eco-friendly benefits and unique flavor profile, cricket flour could become a more common sight in our pantry than we'd expect.
So, will you be an early adopter of cricket flour? Americans were weird about snails, scungilli, frog legs, ostrich, boar, and gator meat at first, but hey, these are now all readily available for you cross-country. Give it a try. You may be (chirp) surprised.
