This article was created by National Geographic Traveler (UK).
“It tastes like sunflower seeds,” says Foo Yi Ming, owner of Grains and Leaf, a hawker stall in the basement of Singapore's Golden Mile Food Centre. He said while casually popping a cricket into his mouth. I sit on a stool, staring at a plastic container filled with dry, dead crickets. Min bought it with the legs already cut out and coated with salted egg flavor.
For someone who grew up in a Western culture, the idea of sprinkling creepy crawlies on a salad is not at all appetizing. But I carefully place the small cricket between my teeth. Nothing bad will happen. It has a satisfying crunch and a salty flavor.
Working up the courage, I tried another of Ming's salad toppings, mealworms. It is about 2 centimeters long and has a very chewy texture. “It tastes like roasted peanut skin,” Min says. I will admit that when I mix these into my salad, I get a salty, nutty flavor that adds great texture to this healthy lunch.
Min says the protein found in insects makes them a natural addition to his salad shop, along with honey roasted chicken salad, Caesar salad, and salmon poke bowls. But what do his customers say about the option bugs on the menu? “People care about appearance,” he says. “They can taste it, but they can't see it. I tell them to close their eyes and take a bite first.”
But customers are adjusting to the possibility of insects appearing. It was first approved for consumption in Singapore in July 2024, with the Singapore Food Authority (SFA) allowing the import and sale of 16 species, including crickets, mealworms, locusts and moth larvae.
Insect Food, run by Javier Yip, was the first company to import edible insects to Singapore. “I love eating edible insects,” he explains when we meet in his office. “It's my passion. I've eaten it in Thailand and Vietnam. I've had scorpions before.”
Singapore does not yet have an insect farm, and Javier has only recently cleared all regulatory hurdles to establish an import supply chain. “The SFA is very strict, so finding the right supplier is difficult,” he says. Insects must come from a farm, as insects collected in the wild may carry bacteria or be exposed to pesticides. There are thousands of farms in China and Thailand, but the SFA only approves those with certain safety certifications. Once the bugs arrive in Singapore, samples will be tested before being sold.
In some dishes, the insect secret ingredient is hard to spot, like the fermented insect garum in this tart topped with pumpkin and edible flowers. Photo provided by: Hula
Javier sells bulk packs of dried crickets, mealworms, frozen grasshoppers, silkworm pupae and insect powders through his website. The snack packs are sold under Javier's retail brand “Insect Yumz'' at local supermarket chain Sheng Siong. In his boardroom, I bravely sample a pack of Tom Yum-flavored crickets. This immediately reminds me of a punchy Thai soup with chilled, lime, and shrimp. Next, I will eat crickets with tomato-based sweet and spicy barbecue flavor. It's a puffy, wavy snack aimed at carving out a niche for potato chips.
For many people, a diet that includes insects is nothing new. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), edible insects are believed to be consumed in more than 100 countries. Insects have high protein levels and could help meet future global food demands. According to the FAO report, raising these “mini-livestocks” could benefit the environment, as crickets, for example, require one-sixth the amount of food as cows. It takes half as much as a pig or chicken to produce the same amount of protein. Insects also emit less greenhouse gases and ammonia than traditional livestock.
Dr. María Antonia Guillermo Tuazon, FAO's senior expert on nutrition and agricultural products systems, said insect farming and consumption is consistent with the United Nations' 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. “We want to achieve a triple win, simultaneously promoting social development, including food security and nutrition, economic growth and environmental sustainability.”
She added that demand for edible insects is surging in Europe as people seek alternatives to meat. Edible insect powder, which can be added to all kinds of dishes to enhance protein, is especially popular. “When they eat grasshoppers or crickets, they can get their feet stuck between their teeth,” says Antonia. However, the powder format eliminates any visual or textural issues.
Another company on a mission to make insects more palatable is Fura, a small bar and eatery housed in a trendy shophouse on Xiamen Street in Chinatown, a hotspot for dining. Here I met co-owner Christina Rasmussen. His aim is to encourage guests to consume more sustainably by featuring key ingredients that are invasive, prevalent, or abundant. Many dishes are vegan, but others incorporate insects, exotic jellyfish, and even a lab-grown quail parfait.
In the open kitchen, Christina explains her philosophy as she removes tart cases from the oven and arranges flowers on pretty plates. “We recognize that not everyone can be vegan,” she says. “Insects work because they are abundant, require few resources, and are a good source of protein.”For some Singaporeans, eating insects still requires a shift in mindset. “Many people don't like eating insects because it's associated with poverty and despair, but we want to change that,” she says.
The margarita-inspired Get the Worm is strained with garlic-fried mealworms, but its natural earthiness and spice add a punch to the experience. Photo provided by: Hula
Hoo Ee Ming often tops her salads with protein-rich mealworms instead of fried onions or toasted nuts. Photo provided by: Hula
I start the night with a cocktail called Get the Worm. Inspired by the classic margarita, with the sourness of tequila, tangy lime, and hints of orange, this drink also includes mealworms sautéed with garlic and 15 spices and drizzled with tequila. I am. The worms themselves are strained before serving, but they infuse a savory, spicy flavor into this slightly hazy, punchy cocktail.
Christina then slides two plates towards me. The first is three peas with peas, sweet peas, and peanut cricket dukkah. “It's a good way to express texture,” she explains. The second dish is called pumpkin layer. This amaranth peel tart is filled with pickled beets and insect garum. Garum is a fermented paste made from heat-dried grasshoppers, grasshoppers, and blackened barley malt, which is later blended with charred pepper, walnuts, and apple cider vinegar. The tart decoration is a curled ribbon of pumpkin dotted with pretty blue and pink edible petals.
“This is my favorite thing on the menu,” says Christina. “It's so beautiful and I think it does Bugs justice.'' With sweet, nutty flavors and perfect presentation, this dish is a true indulgence. And if this is what it takes to save the planet while replenishing my body with protein, I'll happily order more.
