Catching the bug: insects are the new shellfish
GOURMET GOGGA: Crackers topped with mopani worms were on the menu at a recent magazine launch WHILE some list a juicy steak as their favourite meal, and munch on popcorn at snack time, Zayaan Khan taps into what many have known and enjoyed for generations: insects.
Entomophagy, the practice of eating insects, is her interest, and she is using it to get people to change the way they think about food.
A horticulturist by training, Khan found insects the most fascinating part of her plant protection course. “It started with a love of insects. You can’t escape them. I found that insects filled the gap of hunger,” said Khan.
Local establishments are catching on, such as Pestaurant South Africa, which featured as a pop-up store at Cresta in Johannesburg this week.
On a visit to Uganda in 2013, Khan saw insects being consumed daily and asked herself: “How come we don’t do that?”
Heather Thompson, a choco- latier, has partnered with Khan to form Apocalypse Pantry. “It’s all about looking where you live and finding food where you look,” said Thompson.
Their first catering gig was on Wednesday at the launch of PanAfrican magazine Ogojii, in Cape Town.
Brand manager Tshepo Mathabathe explained the choice of insects on the menu: “It’s simply an alternative, and sustainable, source of protein. There’s so much, why not use it? Cultur- ally, for black people, this is nothing new,” she said.
Khan foraged for most things on the menu for the night, which included mopani worm crackers and hibiscus flower garnish and a dessert of mopani cakes topped with vanilla, Cape lemon zest and Kei apple compote.
Khan advised budding entomophagists to always cook their insects. “Because it’s outside of our natural diet, you don’t know how your body will react. Always treat them like shellfish.”