The Emergence of Insect Toppings!

Fany Gerson added grasshoppers to her menu at La Newyorkina – a New York shop influenced by the flavors of Mexico. To a $12 sundae full of vanilla chili ice cream, mescal laced caramel and candied orange – she is adding grasshoppers.

For anyone turned off by bugs, this is the perfect opportunity to try it. It is cushioned in sugar and soft folds of ice cream. Gerson is not hopping on the trend of consuming insects to combat climate change. On the contrary, this inclusion is born out of cultural practices in Mexico. She commented “In Oaxaca, eating grasshoppers is very popular. You eat them as a snack the way people eat nuts,” she says. “We get a lot of requests for sprinkles, and this is a way to keep everything we do natural.”

Elisabeth Rosner recorded her experience of eating insects in the “New York Post”. She agreed to eat the “multi-legged, exoskeletal, antennae-festooned glory”. Timo Blake that sold her the insects had commented “Two billion people around the world already eat bugs!”. He had also focused on the health benefits of insects.

Rosner was repulsed. She declared that she’s “sticking to whipped cream, hot fudge, and the kind of sprinkles that won’t give me nightmares.”

Similarly, Ben Mohinsky of “The Business Insider” tried bug ice cream (promoted by “The Economist”). He claimed “It wasn’t very easy to eat knowing there were bugs in it. The grasshopper got stuck in my teeth and the chewy mealworms had a strange texture. Maybe it would have been different if the taste test was blind.” His verdict – “Call me a Luddite but I’ll stick with my bug-free Cornetto”.

Insect ice-cream has gained traction but only time shall tell if it has the gravity to remain!