Chef serves cricket tteokbokki and other bug dishes to San Diego State students
(Source)
February 23, Celebrity chef Joseph Yoon served insect dishes at the Bug Banquet held at San Diego State University.
About the insect banquet: Chef Yoon, a pioneer of entomophagy (the practice of eating insects) and chef advocate for the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development, collaborated with Professor Changqi Liu and the Student Nutrition Organization for this unique tasting event, Daily Aztec reported.
The chef and edible insect ambassador prepared a menu featuring chili and cricket tacos, ant tteokbokki with cricket and chicatana, and honey and cricket caramel popcorn. All dishes were made from insects grown sustainably for consumption. Students who attended the event took the opportunity to discover insect-based dishes.
“It’s really good and it’s pretty. I like the way he (is tackled),” freshman Giselle Ford said. “I would (eat insects) again.”
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Part of the current research: SDSU hosted the event as part of Liu’s specialized research on edible insects and their nutritional values, flavor profiles and potential allergens. The food science researcher also studies how edible insects can gain public acceptance.
“We did a survey and found that the level of willingness to eat insects is not that high in the United States,” Liu said. “We have identified that lack of knowledge of the products – but also the disgust factor – constitute the main obstacles. That’s why we try to come up with interventions to help people overcome this kind of aversion to insects.
Advocacy for sustainable nutrition: Chef Yoon’s Bug Banquet initiative aims to educate and empower individuals to make informed decisions regarding sustainable nutrition. At the event, he also discussed his mission to increase acceptance of edible insects and address challenges in the global food system. The New York-based chef revealed his hopes to one day produce a cookbook on edible insects and launch an advertising campaign to change the public’s perception of insect-based cooking.
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In 2017, he founded Brooklyn Bugs, an organization that aims to normalize the use of edible insects. In her interview with Food Lab Talk in November, Yoon highlighted the importance of inclusive culinary practices and the need to bridge cultural divides through food.
“What I like to share is the regenerative and circular nature of insect agriculture. We can take food waste from grocery stores, restaurants, breweries and bakeries and feed it to soldier fly larvae “They can consume twice their body weight each day without emitting methane gas, thereby mitigating all of that food waste sent to our landfills.”
Where this is common: Eating insects is not a new phenomenon and is popular in many cultures around the world. In Thailand, fried insects are commonly enjoyed as snacks, known as “jing leed”. In Mexico, “chapulines” are a traditional dish made from grasshoppers, often seasoned with chili pepper and lime.
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