Cricket flour (or cricket powder) is a protein-rich powder made from
crickets
Crickets are orthopteran insects which are related to bush crickets and more distantly, to grasshoppers. In older literature, such as Imms,Imms AD, rev. Richards OW & Davies RG (1970) ''A General Textbook of Entomology'' 9th Ed. Methuen 886 ...
, using various processes. Cricket flour differs from true flours made from grains by being composed mainly of
protein
Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residue (biochemistry), residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including Enzyme catalysis, catalysing metab ...
rather than
starch
Starch or amylum is a polymeric carbohydrate consisting of numerous glucose units joined by glycosidic bonds. This polysaccharide is produced by most green plants for energy storage. Worldwide, it is the most common carbohydrate in human diet ...
es and
dietary fiber
Dietary fiber (fibre in English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English) or roughage is the portion of plant-derived food that cannot be completely broken down by human digestive enzymes. Dietary fibers are diverse in chemical co ...
.
Nutritional information
Cricket flour contains nutrients such as the nine
essential amino acids
An essential amino acid, or indispensable amino acid, is an amino acid that cannot be synthesized from scratch by the organism fast enough to supply its demand, and must therefore come from the diet. Of the 21 amino acids common to all life forms ...
, calcium, iron, potassium,
vitamin B12,
B2, and
fatty acid
In chemistry, in particular in biochemistry, a fatty acid is a carboxylic acid with an aliphatic chain, which is either saturated and unsaturated compounds#Organic chemistry, saturated or unsaturated. Most naturally occurring fatty acids have an ...
s.
Food safety and processing
When cultivated for human consumption in Western nations, insects are held to the same safety requirements as any other food.
Depending on the popularity in a given location, processing might be done commercially or locally. The procedure begins with the removal of the insect's insides, albeit this step is optional. They are then dispatched to be preserved or freeze-dried, which is accomplished using hessian or
polypropylene
Polypropylene (PP), also known as polypropene, is a thermoplastic polymer used in a wide variety of applications. It is produced via chain-growth polymerization from the monomer Propene, propylene.
Polypropylene belongs to the group of polyolefin ...
. They are transported for storage once they have been entirely preserved/dried. Insects can be frozen or ground into powders.
Cricket flour is produced from freeze-dried crickets. The crickets are then cooked to facilitate processing. They are pulverised into extremely fine bits after being cooked. The freezing, baking, and drying results in a powdered dark brown flour.
Cost
Prices can vary depending on location, but the average cost of cricket flour is around (4,200 to 4,800 crickets). This price is inflated due to limited commercialization and few processors.
Food products with cricket flour
Pulverized freeze-dried crickets are used in processed food products, such as:
* pasta
* bread
* cookies
* snacks (chips, nachos)
* smoothies
Cricket flour can be utilized as a complete replacement for flour. The taste is described as very nutty, and foods normally prepared with wheat flour may cook differently.
See also
*
Insects as food
Insects as food or edible insects are insect species used for human consumption. Over 2 billion people are estimated to eat insects on a daily basis. Globally, more than 2,000 insect species are considered edible, though far fewer are discussed ...
*
Pea protein
Pea protein is a food product and protein supplement derived and extracted from yellow and green split peas, ''Pisum sativum.'' It can be used as a dietary supplement to increase an individual's protein or other nutrient intake, or as a substit ...
*
Hemp protein
Hemp protein is a plant-derived protein from the cannabis plant and is isolated from hemp seeds (a type of nut).
Protein content
The protein content of whole hemp seeds can vary between 20 and 25% depending on variety and environmental factor ...
*
Entomophagy
Entomophagy (, from Greek wikt:ἔντομον, ἔντομον ', 'insect', and wikt:φαγεῖν, φαγεῖν ', 'to eat') is the practice of eating insects. An alternative term is insectivory. Terms for organisms that practice entomophagy ...
*
Meat analogue
A meat alternative or meat substitute (also called plant-based meat, mock meat, or alternative protein), is a food product made from vegetarian or vegan ingredients, eaten as a replacement for meat. Meat alternatives typically approximate qual ...
References
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Flour
Flour
Flour is a powder made by Mill (grinding), grinding raw grains, List of root vegetables, roots, beans, Nut (fruit), nuts, or seeds. Flours are used to make many different foods. Cereal flour, particularly wheat flour, is the main ingredie ...
Insects as food