Students Sample Insects at 'Entomophagy Extravaganza'

Assistant Professor Katharine Owens (far right) hands out chocolate-covered crickets at Tuesday's "Entomophagy Extravaganza."

By Nick Frogameni '12, '14

Assistant Professor Katharine Owens and students from her First-Year Seminar, "Guerrilla Cuisine," prepared eatable insects and served them to willing students on Tuesday, Dec. 11, in Suisman Lounge, GSU.

Owens's class prepared more than 600 chocolate-covered crickets on sticks and assorted cups of mealworms with Chex Mix.

Many students were reluctant to try the edible insects. However, the students who were willing to partake in the new experience were surprised, and some were even satisfied with the taste. “It tastes pretty good, like crunchy chocolate," one student said. "You can’t even tell that there’s an insect inside,” said another student after sampling the chocolate-covered crickets.

See a video of Tuesday's "Entomophagy Extravaganza."

Among many issues addressed in the Guerilla Cuisine course, students learned about the impact of the typical American high-protein diet on the environment. Some experts say the only way to maintain our high protein diet is to explore alternative protein sources, like insects.

“One of the things we are exploring is food and sustainability. The high amount of protein Americans eat isn’t environmentally sustainable. If we are interested in keeping our high level of protein in the United States then we must pursue alternative sources of protein. Some people believe that pursuing insects as food, called Entomophagy, could help sustain our desire for protein,” Owens said.

Two students from the Hartford Art School's Design Global Change class, Sarah Wollman and Jessie Sattler, created informational posters and materials for Tuesday's "Entomophagy Extravaganza" event.