It’s Not Cricket

Well, I’ll be passing that shelf in Sainsbury’s next week…

Barbecued bugs are are going on the shelves of British supermarkets as Sainsbury’s becomes the first big UK grocer to stock edible insects.

The retailer will start selling roasted crickets – described as “crunchy in texture with a rich smoky flavour” – in 250 of its stores from Monday, capitalising on the growing prominence of bush tucker in the global warming debate. The damaging environmental impact of global meat production has spurred interest in bugs – which can be bred in significant numbers without taking up large amounts of land, water or feed – as an alternative, sustainable food source.

I’ll no more eat insects than I will eat raw fish. Ain’t happening.

 They taste of whatever they are flavoured with – bitter with a little spicy kick at the end – rather than the cricket itself, which is perhaps a mixed blessing. But for me the sticking point is the texture. Crisp on the outside, it quickly yields before popping in your mouth.

Yuk! Ptooie! Nope. Never. Not going to happen. Maybe some diced beef and a bottle of red. It’s been a while since I cooked a boeuf bourguignon.

They really are determined…

10 Comments

  1. If this, you know, takes off, they’ll have to start breeding edible insects. Or is it the intention to almost literally take the food from the mouths of birds, hedgehogs and Tasmanians ?
    Docbud, I could never eat a Moreton Bay bug, because they just look like giant cockroaches. The idea of eating an actual cockroach is just too disgusting.

  2. Crickets Locusts?

    Anyway: “crunchy” land-prawns? No thanks. De-shelled and I’d try, if tasty and cheap then would buy.

    They taste of whatever they are flavoured with – bitter with a little spicy kick at the end – rather than the cricket itself

    Oh, like snails then: cover-up the taste with garlic etc – hmm, that no longer appeals. Garlic rancid meat, garlic turds next?

  3. @DocBud

    Moreton Bay bug,: Garlic & Herbs again – I wonder why.

    Although they are fished for wherever they are found, slipper lobsters have not been the subject of such intense fishery as spiny lobsters or true lobsters – taste horrible, few want them.

    Anyone see BBC QT?

    Patronising Claire Perry shoots foot – Wales will suffer, EU has 70% tariff on Lamb. Err, how much is exported to EU?. Hmm, we import lots of New Zealand Lamb – 70% cheaper if we leave – sounds good, Leave now.

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