New York City is easily the most populous city in the United States with over eight million residents. If there was any place to gauge America's attitude toward edible-insects, then it would be New York City. New York City is also home to a variety of different people from different cultures. This is probably why many residents of the big apple attended the first ever Brooklyn Bugs Festival. Several entrepreneurs that make up a part of the edible-insect industry brought their products to the Brooklyn festival with the hopes that curious Americans would try tasting the
many available products.
The festival offered the public a multitude of different insects for consumption. For example, grubs, grasshoppers, crickets and even raw scorpions were available for public consumption. This is certainly not a full list, the festival offered edible-insect options for every level of bug-eater. In fact, the festival included many creepy-crawly creatures that were not even technically insects. Scorpions, for example, are not insects, but they are rather arachnids. The festival also offered worms. So just about every creepy-crawly that you can imagine was well represented at the recent festival.
Many festival goers took the plunge and tasted a few of the creatures available. One attendee described grasshoppers as tasting pretty good, just as long as you don't look at them. There were even food options for those who cannot stand the sight of insects, such as protein powder made from ground crickets. Many bug dishes contained foods that Americans are more familiar with, such as granola. However, the granola flakes were mixed with crickets. Robyn Shapiro, co founder of Seek, another edible-insect business, insisted that crickets have a real "nutty and earthy flavor."
It could be said that New York City residents already have a negative attitude towards insects since the city is infested with roaches and bedbugs. According to Joseph Yoon, organizer of Brooklyn Bugs,
changing the perception that many Americans have toward edible-insects is the primary mission of the ongoing festival. He also went on to theorize that the bugs we find within our homes, like roaches, could be considered a quick meal in the future.
Would you have to try an insect protein powder before consuming a meal that clearly contained insects?