Courtney Yule, product design student from Edinburgh Napier University, has creatively built a cookery kit known as "Entopod" that would promote insects as food for healthy human consumption.
Entopod has an insect-shape design that could assist in preparing insect-based menus. This plastic unit includes a grinder, multiple detachable containers and an insect fondue set.
Courtney also created a Starter Kit on how to include insects on a dietary intake as part of her public exhibit over the Degree Show at the university's Merchiston campus in Scotland starting May 22 until May 31.
With Courtney's Starter Kit, one can grind the creepy-crawlies into flour and follow unique home-made insect-inspired recipes to produce refreshing shakes along with other appetizing treats. There are also detachable plastic containers that can be uses to heat the meal on the hob, conventional oven or in a microwave.
There could also be an opportunity of assembling a grasshopper chocolate fondue with a candle on the base. The kit also has skewers for BBQ-type or kebab meals.
"I am now at the stage of tweaking design components, and although the prototype is white I am also working on bright neon and anodized colors resembling the natural coloring of insects. After the degree show, I will be taking it down to the New Designers show in London in July," she confirmed.
Courtney hopes that the diversity of the cookery kit would make people fascinated enough to conquer their fear of entomophagy, the practice of human consumption of insects as food, including arachnids (spiders) and myriapods (centipedes).
Courtney said she became interested in entomophagy after reading that it could be the best way to increase food security for the planet's ever growing population.
Indeed, previous studies have led experts to suggest these creepy-crawlies as an alternative protein source to animal livestock due to its economic and environmental sustainability.
Beetles, crickets and caterpillars are creepy-crawlies that have been popular daily diet among cultures in developing regions like Africa, Latin America and Asia. About 80% of the world's countries are known to eat more than 1,000 species of insects.
"People think nothing about eating prawns and shrimps but they have a different reaction to grasshoppers and crickets. However, the more you read about the health benefits, the less bothered you become. You can do anything with insects; sweet and sour grasshopper, mealworm macaroni, lime and ginger locusts or cricket cookies," Courtney added.
Photo: Matthias Hiltner | Flickr
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