What is it that makes a food ‘weird’? Usually, it can be put down to an unusual flavour, or maybe an electrifying colour and most often, it’s just something that is outside the bubble of our own food culture. The best example of this is the practice of entomophagy – eating insects. To many of us, the idea elicits nothing but horror but in some parts of the world, a bag of fried crickets is as simple to find as potato chips. But far and away one of the most popular and heavily consumed are silkworms.
They feature heavily in Korean, Chinese and Thai market fare but they’re also popular among many North East Indian communities in Nagaland. They were first recorded as being used in China over 3,000 years ago and were renowned for their health benefits as well as their sumptuous texture. Buttery and soft on the centre with a skin that can be fried to a crisp, its mildly fishy flavour is easy to enjoy when you wrap your head around the ingredient itself. In Nagaland, fresh, local ingredients are used to offset the texture of the silkworm effortlessly.
Packed with peptides and proteins, silkworms are a convenient and rich source of nutrition. They also contain unsaturated fatty acids that help in lowering the body’s lipid levels, managing weight gain, and even combating obesity. The proteins and high levels of amino acids are helping them gain popularity among bodybuilders and those looking to build muscle fast.
There’s been much conversation about how insects are the future of food because they can be farmed in huge numbers with very little environmental fallout, they provide higher amounts of nutrition than regular meat and any by-products like the cocoons can actually be used to make medical equipment and of course, cloth. Experts are predicting that insects are the future of food, so indulge in some adventurous eating and try out this simple recipe for yourself and join in on the trendiest food of the future.
Ingredients:
● 1 kg silkworm
● 3 tbsp chilli powder
● 2 tbsp turmeric powder
● 3 tbsp ginger and garlic paste
● 2 tbsp roasted jaiur powder
● 2 tbsp vinegar
● 10 green chillies
● 4-5 tbsp oil
● Salt to taste
Method:
● Boil the Silkworm and cut it into pieces
● Marinate with salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder, garlic, ginger, roasted jaiur powder, vinegar and green chillies for at least an hour.
● Heat the oil in a pan, and once the oil is shimmering, drop in the silkworms.
● Fry until they turn a dark red colour and the edges are evenly crisp.
