Gourmet Grasshoppers: Thailand to start sending bugs to Europe as high-protein food source

[snoop1130]

Gourmet Grasshoppers: Thailand to start sending bugs to Europe as high-protein food source

By Coconuts Bangkok

 

Photo: Blue Delliquanti/Flickr

 

Thais have been snacking on silkworms, and other bugs for generations. Now, due to new European Union (EU) legislation, the creepy crawlers can be exported to Europe as a food source.

 

Yesterday, it was announced that legislation has passed for the sale of bugs as food, starting in 2018. Countries such as Belgium, Holland and Denmark have already independently approved such sales.

 

Thailand is one of the world’s biggest markets for edible insects and the country boasts 20,000 farms to harvest bugs, reported NDTV.

 

Full Story: http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2016/10/28/gourmet-grasshoppers-thailand-start-sending-bugs-europe-high-protein-food-source

 

-- © Copyright Coconuts Bangkok 2016-10-28

[ratcatcher]

Thailand is one of the world’s biggest markets for edible insects and the country boasts 20,000 farms ....

 

Well, bug a me.

[wolfmuc]

No joke? - What a wonderful world we live in. - But even dead now they might and will be produced in the future in the EU or the US. And then, I'm sure we have one more invasive species, besides all these other insects e.g. asian longhorn beetle, red palm weevil, many plants of the tropics, especially China. - But no, we are not the target of many millions of humans coming from Africa.

[freebyrd]

I can't imagine many Europeans shouting "Yummy, give me 2 bags of grasshoppers and a loaf of bread please!"

[Khon Kaen Dave]

Yes,i have heard of the Red Palm Weevil being an excellent dish,if served with sticky rice and a good Chianti.The Red Palm Weevil contains many nutriments and vitamins,but only when just out of the lava stage,and eaten when they are qute small.As the Weevil ages,the nutriments and vitamins reduce and the Weevil takes on a 'leathery' taste and becomes visibly larger.The prospective diner can spot which Weevils are best to consumed,obviously judging them by their size.

The discerning customer,eating at any restaurant serving these dishes,would therefore be wise to choose the lesser of two Weevils.

[Grubster]

2 hours ago, freebyrd said:

I can't imagine many Europeans shouting "Yummy, give me 2 bags of grasshoppers and a loaf of bread please!"

I can

[burgdawg]

...I was staying near Soi Dao some years back while on a bicycle training ride. Tai ladies sat down on a mat with some scissors and a big bag of excellent looking LIVE grasshoppers from Cambodia. Very big! We all pitched in trimming the wings and tossed them into a frying pan on and electric grill with Tai seasoning. The grasshopers turned red when cooked.

Easily one of the best snacks I've ever had. It was 200b per kg. After we scarfed all down---I went and found the vendor and bought another 200b worth for everyone who showed up late and missed out on the first batch.

[Asiang]

As stupid as thinking that people will buy electric cars before oil price reaches $10 for 1 litre.

 

People will eat meat protein until it is available !

 

And anyway meat protein is not needed, only veg protein is enough.

 

 

 

[bokningar]

Who cares where protein in for example protein powder comes from?

The homo sapiens is now over flooding this planet worse than than grasshoppers did back in old testament.

If we don't stop the growing population we better get used to eat grasshoppers

[Jonmarleesco]

Presumably they've done their market research ... or perhaps not.

[White Christmas13]

Yeah we all know Thailand has a lot of cockroaches 

[Xircal]

12 hours ago, freebyrd said:

I can't imagine many Europeans shouting "Yummy, give me 2 bags of grasshoppers and a loaf of bread please!"

 

How about a couple of bags of these instead then?

 

I was asked at the time I took the photo if I wanted to try one, but I declined the offer.

 

 

[freebyrd]

9 hours ago, Xircal said:

 

How about a couple of bags of these instead then?

 

I was asked at the time I took the photo if I wanted to try one, but I declined the offer.

 

 

 

Many years ago outside of a hotel in Korat, I was failing to catch a girls attention as she was focused on a mangda dancing around the lights. When the insect hit the ground, she grabbed it and put it in her bag. She turned to me smiling and said "aroy". Needless to say, a later joining never happened!

 

Mangda are large insects about 8 cms long, that live in rice fields in Northern Thailand. During the evening they fly around lights and are easily netted and eaten. Mang-da is also the name given to boyfriends who live off their girlfriends. They get the name because they flit from light to light. Similar to the English phrase 'bar-fly'. Someone is said to be a mang-da if their girlfriends work and they don't.

[Foexie]

On ‎29‎/‎10‎/‎2016 at 5:26 AM, freebyrd said:

I can't imagine many Europeans shouting "Yummy, give me 2 bags of grasshoppers and a loaf of bread please!"

 

A year or 2 ago a branch of supermarkets here introduced 5 kinds of frozen eatable insects. About 1 y later the bugs gone out again. Never seen more then just a few boxes being sold.

 

Not sure who bought them because in my village we have over 50 different nationalities living.

 

But it was Always possible some brave Belgians here have eaten them :d

[dcnx]

You can turn the insects into power and bake with it. You can't tell where the protein came from after it's cooked. 

 

You can already buy cricket protein bars here. They are quite delicious .