Dear readers, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) announced today 16 insect species approved as food. The 16 insect species are:
- House cricket
- Banded cricket
- Common/field cricket
- Black field/two-spotted cricket
- African migratory locust
- American desert/desert locust
- Grasshopper
- Superworm/giant mealworm beetle
- Mealworm
- Lesser mealworm
- Whitegrub
- Giant rhino beetle grub
- Greater wax/honeycomb moth
- Lesser wax moth
- Silk moth/silkworm
- Western/European honey bee
As someone who tries daily to save monies when it comes to meals, the moment I read the news, I did have a thinking to go to the nearby parks to try to catch some of these insect species as food to save some monies ….just joking of course !
What SFA’s announcement means today is that Singaporeans can look forward to snacks and meals made up of any of the 16 approved insect species.
Of the eateries that were interviewed or reported in the media today arising from SFA’s announcement, all were restaurants. One of the dishes featured in the media was a dish of salted egg crab dish with superworm.
With cost of living already high and I believe many are like myself, trying to save up as much monies every day, I find that it may not be reasonable to spend monies in restaurant consuming insects! Or paying to have insects as snacks.
I will prefer to have these insects as part of my daily staple of my favorite Chap Chye Png (mixed vegetable rices). Instead of a serving of meat, vegetables and egg (my usual combo), I will not mind having any of these 16 approved insects if the Chap Chye Png stall sell, to replace my meat dish, as I heard that these insects are a good source of protein.
And best if the Chap Chye Png with the insect dish can be sold at $3.50 (with the egg and vegetables) as part of the recent government’s initiatives to offer $3.50 meals!]
Last but not least, if I may choose, the first insect of the 16 insects that I do not mind to eat will be silkworm! Why? Silkworm produces silk and silk is a highly prized item and in the spirit of SG Stocks Investing (a finance and investment related blog), I don’t mind to eat an insect that may deemed to represent wealth first and foremost!