Entomogastronomy, a step beyond just eating insects

Resumen

Entomophagy, or the consumption of insects as food by humans, developed thousands of yearsago in some entomophagous cultures around the world, particularly in Africa, Asia and,especially, in South/Mesoamerica. Recently, FAO recommended edible insects as a goodprotein source for the future as an alternative to conventional meat, capable of contributingpositively to the environment and human health. However, insect consumption still encounterssignificant cultural constraints (i.e., entomophobia) in Western societies. Among the variousstrategies to overcome entomophobia is the inclusion of edible insects in the tasting menus ofsome avant-garde restaurants run by renowned chefs around the world, with the idea that it willeventually spread to other casual and mid-range restaurants and also to home cooking. Thechapter mainly addresses the treatment of edible insects in haute cuisine and creative cooking,highlighting the organoleptic aspects of insects and culinary transformations aimed at achievingdeliciousness and palatability, not just edibility. The paradigmatic case of the gastronomicresearch on insect cuisine carried out by the Nordic Food Laboratory, a research offshoot of theworld-famous Danish three-Michelin starred restaurant Noma, is presented.