Something interesting is happening in the UK, and it involved bugs and butter. Recently, scientists have discovered that insects can make butter. Well, the fat from the black fly larvae to be specific.
Researchers did an experiment by cooking a series of baked goods— waffles, cakes, and cookies. Some were made with normal butter, some with 25% insect butter, and some with a whopping 50/50 insect butter and normal butter. The crazy thing about this is out of 344 tasters, not many detected a change of flavor.
Why would we switch to fly butter instead of Good-Ol’-Fashion churned milk? A lot of reasons actually. It has never been more apparent that the world is in need of change. The climate crisis is at an all-time high and our long-standing methods of food production aren’t sustainable.
Insects have a substantially lower eco-logical footprint than cows. Raising and harvesting large quantities of insects takes up a fraction of the space in comparison. If not for the Earth, then do it for yourself. Insect butter is much healthier for you containing lauric acid, which is easier on your body and helps fight nasty bacteria.
If this is breaking news to you as it was for me, get ready. A bakery in the UK has already launched an insect line of bread. 336 crickets are ground and dried before getting mixed with wheat flour and grains. The loaf is surprisingly packed full of protein with a nice, crunchy texture.
It appears that insect products are a part of our future as food begins to shift as a result of overproduction and climate change. We can all get out of our comfort zone if it’s for the longevity of our Mother Earth!
(Reuters/Francois Lenoir)
