Is it time for something new on our plates?

At our recent visit to London, we discovered a small eatery which specialised in cooking with insects. We stopped for a moment but weren’t brave enough to actually give it a try (I seem to be a coward at heart).

But thinking about food shortages and cuisines in Asia and Africa, we should not completely dismiss it.

A few years ago, at one of our critic nights, chefs Shane O’Sullivan and Anthony Hayes from River Lee Hotel (both have moved on to other positions) created an amazing fine dining menu with foraged and wild food.

They used earthworms and crickets for the starter and I have to say, it looked simply amazing.

As I was hosting, I only got a taster. If I hadn’t known that insects were used, I would have been very happy eating the whole dish. Fine chopped vegetables with BBQed insects were paired with rosemary infused honey. This was served with a liquorice stick – the idea was to dip the stick into the honey and then pick up the food and enjoy the explosion of flavours.

I am not a big fan of liquorice but enjoyed the innovation of the dish.

While the nutritional and environmental benefits of insect consumption are clear, overcoming the psychological barrier remains a challenge for many. Unlike traditional livestock farming, insect rearing generates minimal greenhouse gas emissions and requires far less land, water, and feed.

Insects can thrive on organic waste, presenting a viable solution for reducing food waste and promoting circular economies. Insects also shine as a sustainable protein source but I haven’t had time yet to look closer at their overall nutritional benefits or even disadvantages.

Some countries have simply banned the use of insects in hospitality but some scientists are flying the flag to spread the consumption of insects further.

I think we need to have chefs like Shane and Anthony to create dishes that are not only visually appealing but also taste wonderful.

Insects offer chefs and home cooks a canvas for culinary creativity as insects lend themselves to various cooking methods, absorbing flavours and textures.

Seasoned travellers might have already experienced dishes like Mexico's tangy chapulines (grasshoppers) seasoned with lime and chili or Thailand's crispy fried bamboo worms.

In order to include insects into public consumption, clear guidelines and safety standards is crucial to ensure the responsible and widespread adoption of insects in cooking.

Some of you might shudder at the idea but have you ever tried escargots? Slimy little creatures that can be found in many fine dining establishments – people pay quite a bit of money for it. I imagine that the first person who introduced snails at a dinner might have been laughed at and now they have had the last laugh!