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IDERS in the bath freak out, I confess. nd my idea of an exotic meal is iding whether to order a chicken rezi or vindaloo down at my local ry house. the thought of chomping down on y critters from the Outback like the s from ITV’s I’m A Celebrity leaves in a cold sweat. m not alone – this year’s contestants already living in fear of the mad sels they may be forced to eat as part he challenges in the Jungle. otball hardman Dennis Wise and lyoaks’ Jamie Lomas both admit that r worst nightmare would be tucking an animal’s penis. t now ordinary Brits can get a taste he wacky eating action, thanks to htucker Trial fare on sale in the UK. pils are being given the chance to ple foods such as grasshopper burgto teach them about world food shorts, as we reported yesterday. nd in the run-up to the new series of A Celeb, stores including WHSmith Hawkin’s Bazaar are stocking esome I’m A Celeb-style goodies. ere’s everything from evil-looking pion treats and mealworm munchies ry. High street giant B&M even has a Bushtucker Trial game which asks ers to spin the wheel and eat whichterrifying treat it lands on – from crickets to locusts. And online stores like eatgrub.co.uk offer the chance to cook up your own plate of edible insects.
But as I was given the job of testing some of the creepy crawly feasts on offer I shuddered.
While I might not have to face the ordeal of quaffing a kangaroo anus like model Kate Price in the 2009 series or an ostrich anus like Carl Fogarty in 2014, the dodgy dishes on offer left me retching before they’d even reached my lips.
Crunchy
First up was a plate of mealworms. Experts say that they are low in calories and packed with nutrients such as iron and zinc.
But they looked like maggots and as I slipped a few on to my tongue the subtle barbecue flavour couldn’t hide their weird crunchy texture.
Next up crickets. Supposedly packed with protein, they could one day replace beef and chicken as our typical dinner-time fare according to boffins. Again, though they’d been sprinkled with salt and vinegar, I couldn’t get away from the idea that I was eating a chunky insect. It wasn’t helped by the fact that I got some of the legs caught between my teeth and as I felt the creature’s exoskeleton slip down my throat I felt ready to chunder, just like many of the unfortunate celebs Down Under. Licking lollipops peppered with ants was sweeter, but it turned out that crunchy locusts for lunch were not my cup of tea. According to the UN about a whopping two billion people worldwide supplement their diet with insects. But do they really serve up a few dead stingers to the family of an evening? As I tried a white chocolate bar topped with a whole salty scorpion I baulked. It was like a big crisp… but chewy. In fact, it didn’t taste of much and I had to admit that it wasn’t all that bad, especially when washed down with a beer. I tried to focus on the fact that the calciumrich critter was good for my bones. But I don’t think I’ll be serving GLASS ACT: Carl Fogarty in 2014 up a bowl of them to my mates as we watch the football any time soon.
I’m certainly not ready to nibble a crocodile penis as did Joe Swash in 2008.
They can also keep the fish eyes, cockroaches and turkey testicles that Ashley Roberts and Charlie Brooks had to endure in 2012.
And don’t even mention the camel nipples presented to Scarlett Moffatt and Carol Vorderman last year!
Scared
As we gear up for this year’s show some of the stars seem equally scared of the Bushtucker fate that may await them as they try to win vital stars for the camp.
YouTube sensation Jack Maynard said: “I’ve never eaten testicle, I’ve never eaten penis, I’ve never eaten anus, I’m not even sure how you can eat anus but the thought of doing that, no it’s not exciting actually it’s just rubbish, I’m not going to enjoy it.”
Meanwhile, boxer Amir Khan has admitted he doesn’t even know what a Bushtucker Trial is!
Given my experiences with the grubs on offer in the UK, perhaps he’s better off not knowing just what’s in store for him… ¬Ê
Check out the ranges of bush grub at branches of Hawkin’s Bazaar, WHSmith and B&M stores. You can also get packets of edible grasshoppers and mealworms at eatgrub.co.uk