In July, the Singapore Meals Company (SFA) authorized 16 species of bugs for consumption.
From locusts to grasshoppers and mealworms, these critters, which provide a sustainable various to meat and are filled with protein, are actually making their method onto native menus.
Curious to present these creepy crawlies a attempt? Listed here are some businesses in Singapore with insect-based choices:
1. Fura Bar
Positioned on Amoy Road, Fura is a bar that goals to make sustainable eating accessible by utilising elements with a low carbon footprint. Amongst these elements are bugs—particularly mealworms—which they incorporate into their margaritas.
To make their mealworm margaritas, the bar stir-fries and infuses them with a chilli spirit. This infusion is then combined with orange liqueur and lime.
Along with mealworms, Fura’s eye-catching menu options different elements which might be both ample or in extra, similar to jellyfish—an “almost invasive pest” in the water, based on founder Sasha Wijidessa.
2. Home of Seafood
At Singapore’s Home of Seafood restaurant, fish-head curry is served with a aspect of crunchy crickets, and their tofu has bugs crawling out of it. The eatery in the primary in Singapore to include bugs into its menu following SFA’s approval.
From the authorized species of edible bugs, Home of Seafood has included superworms, crickets, and silkworm pupae in varied seafood dishes, together with their signature salted egg crab, offering a various number of 30 insect-infused choices for diners.
3. InsectYumz
InsectYumz affords edible bugs in the type of snacks and protein powder. Their products embody mealworm and cricket snacks that come in quite a lot of flavours similar to tom yum and BBQ, in addition to cricket protein powder.
The corporate additionally claims that it’s the “first and largest importer and supplier” of insect meals for human consumption in Singapore. They provide most of SFA’s authorized record of species similar to crickets, mealworms, silkworms, locusts, white grubs, and honeybees.
4. Altimate Vitamin
Altimate Vitamin is a homegrown startup that makes protein bars out of cricket-based flour. Their protein bars come in a variety of flavours, together with strawberry, matcha, and chocolate.
The corporate additionally sells cricket protein powder and snacks together with tom yum flavoured roasted crickets and silkworms.
Past producing their very own products, Altimate Vitamin has just lately fashioned a three way partnership often known as Proteinnovation with their provider, geared toward advancing R&D for edible bugs. By means of this enterprise, they plan to construct high-tech cricket farms in Thailand to scale up the manufacturing of crickets.
5. Morus
Japanese start-up Morus produces silkworm-based products focusing on high-end eating places and health-conscious customers.
Its products embody a pure silkworm powder—which can be utilized as a meals ingredient—together with matcha powder, protein powder, and protein bars, that are bought beneath the model KAIKO.
KAIKO’s matcha protein powder is at the moment priced at S$248 per 500g bottle, nevertheless, extra reasonably priced choices are in the works.
6. Origin Bar
For its latest menu, Shangri-La Singapore’s Origin Bar has developed a cocktail that’s chock-full of protein.
Starbugs is a mix of Japanese whisky and occasional, clarified with silk tofu and topped with salted caramel air—however the actual protein kick comes from its secret ingredient: crickets. The bar has labored with Altimate Vitamin to launch the cricket-based cocktail.
7. Takagi Ramen
For Halloween this 12 months, Takagi Ramen is offering prawn noodles with a crunchy, free aspect—deep-fried mealworms. You’ll be able to “prank or scare your friends” by including them to their noodles, stated the homegrown ramen chain in a press launch.
The Halloween menu is obtainable in any respect Takagi Ramen’s retailers, and it’s priced at S$10.90. You may as well get the set meal at S$12.90, which is able to include one of many two new Halloween-themed drinks—the Divine Soursop Potion or the Enchanted Fruit Talisman—although they sadly don’t include edible insect add ons.
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As extra F&B businesses in Singapore embrace various meals sources, the way forward for eating may embody a number of extra legs.
Whether or not you’re a daring foodie or simply merely intrigued by the concept, attempting these dishes might be your first step towards a greener, extra sustainable eating regimen. Will you’re taking the chew?
Learn different F&B articles we’ve written right here.
Featured Picture Credit score: Altimate Vitamin/ InsectYumz/ Fura Bar/ Takagi Ramen