Restaurant lovers won’t complain anymore about finding insects in their dishes.

Entomophagy (the habit of eating insects) has finally landed in western cuisine as the European Union
Regulation included insects in the list of approved products for human consumption since January 2018.

Supermarket chains like Carrefour already introduced insects in their product offer for the main public but beetles, crickets and caterpillars also climbed up their way to fine dining restaurants.

PUNTO MX, the 1 Michelin Star restaurant in Madrid by the chef Roberto Ruiz was the first one to introduce a full menu based on this unusual ingredient. But how do you inspire European palates? As the chef explains: Entomophagy is about roots. My father is from one of the significant Mexican areas of insects […] its protein contribution it’s unique to the world and the reason why we brought it to Spain. While waiting for insects to be allowed on European markets, Mr. Ruiz spent years studying how to create and refine his dishes using these ingredients.

Raising interest in this new food might be difficult in Europe but Mexico, Asia and Africa include in their local cooking traditions a wide range of edible insects (which are around 1.400 species) and they’re often considered food for rich people. Eating insects has many advantages for those who are brave enough to break their cultural barriers:

They are rich in proteins, zinc, calcium and good fats and also represent a sustainable food resource compared to other meats.

So, if we still didn’t convince you to give insects a shot, do it for the environment!

R: Federica Cuccia I: Marisol Gabrielli