Does the thought of eating bugs make you want to crawl in your seat? You’re not alone.
I recently went out to try grasshoppers for the first time. After sharing this with my writing class, I was met with looks of repulsion and disgust. Even though 80% of the world’s population consumes insects and the nutritious and environmental benefits have been well documented, having a bowl of silkworms for dinner is still a taboo in America and the Western world in general.
So quit squashing your bugs and start eating them, all while helping save the world’s crises in the process! You’re telling me you can eat kale without flinching, but not bugs? Here are seven delicious and trendy places to help you get over any mental blocks you may have.
Toloache
Photo courtesy of wsj.com
With three locations in Midtown, Downtown, and the Upper East Side, you have no excuse not to try the delicacies this buzzing Mexican bistro offers. Eat some edible critters like chauplines (grasshopper tacos) for a salty crunch, replete with onions and jalapeños to add more flavor.
Wayback Burgers
Photo courtesy of abcnews.go.com
Would you like some crickets with that? Add a 96 cricket-infused milkshake to your comfort food repertoire of burgers and fries. Known as the Oreo Mud Pie milkshake, it is made with Peruvian Chocolate Cricket Powder and packed with 24 grams of protein — which will definitely bring all the boys to the yard.
Pocha 32
Photo Courtesy of pocha32.com
This Korean bar is dope. Called Beondegi in Korean, silkworm larvae is a choice on the menu that you won’t regret ordering. It can be boiled or steamed, and is seasoned and eaten for an earthy snack.
The Black Ant
Photo courtesy of thrillist.com
Stepping in this dark-lit lounge-like Mexican restaurant in the East Village, one instantly feels a cool vibe. The Tlayuda con chapulines, which comes with crispy grasshoppers under fresh salsa and cheese inside of a crispy tortilla, are to die for with its tangy flavor.
Other insect dishes on the menu include guacamole sprinkled with ant salt and maiz y tierra, and a meal of worms sprinkled with vegetables, ant dust, and flower petals.
Sake Bar Kirakuya
Photo courtesy of yellowbot.com
K-Town keeps killing it with this Michelin guide recommended Japanese restaurant. If you have too much sake to handle, for the sake of food, get beautiful skin that’s smooth as silk by eating some sauteed silk worms. Phenomnomnomenal.
Qi Esarn Thai Kitchen
Photo courtesy of qirestaurant.com
Experience the bold and fragrant flavors in this restaurant designed by chef Claire Handleman, formerly known on ABC’s “The Chew.” People who live in northern Thailand are no strangers to eating insects, and neither should you be! Relish the silkworm caterpillars and fried grasshoppers, otherwise known as dug-darr Gub Thuggatan on the menu.
Playground Authentic Thai Cuisine
Photo courtesy of yelp.com
Unleash your inner-child in Queens and and munch away with red ant egg salads and fried grasshoppers roasted with black pepper. Besides having some truly lovely insect dishes on the menu, this place has karaoke so you can boogie along for an awesome experience.
So bug out with no regrets. The food of the future is here to stay. Just look at this all-insect restaurant that’s opening soon in London.