BOZEMAN – The 31st Bug Buffet held at Montana State University on Valentines Day had some interesting choices on the menu.
While most of the items on the menu seemed familiar at first glance, a closer look revealed some surprises like cricket tacos, black ant salads and much more. These all actually got good reviews.
“We have some tacos that are pretty good, with crickets in them and the banana bread with bugs,” said MSU student Michael Thienes. “That’s pretty good.”
Insect diets are more common than you might think and are available in many other countries across the world.
“Because it’s an important awareness that we need to have, The United States is where food insects were used over millennia, and especially out here in the west,” said MSU Associate Professor Florence Dunkel.
“The crickets, grasshoppers, and cicadas were produced in the Great Basin. Normally, they sustain the Native Americans here and it’s a practice that we need to know about. We need to know how to raise them commercially and we do now in Montana,” Dunkel added.
The little creepy crawlers could be our future foodstuffs.
“Edible insects require a lot less land, water, and are more efficient when it comes to feed conversion,” said Thienes. “And they offer a lot of benefits to the environment. A lot of research is going into it dealing with climate change and other factors.”
Reporting by Carson Vickroy for MTN News
