Chocolate ice cream is one of those desserts that’s hard to say no to. But what if we told you that someone made it using crickets? Yes, you read that right! A food technology student in Indonesia has experimented with the unusual ingredient to create chocolate ice cream as part of her thesis project. While the idea might not sound appetising to everyone, it has certainly caught people’s attention online.
Indonesian Student Uses Crickets To Make Chocolate Ice Cream
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Andrea Zefany, a student at i3L University in Jakarta, shared a video explaining how she made the unusual dessert. According to her, crickets were chosen because of their high protein content and because they are relatively easy to find and breed in a laboratory. She also wanted to explore their use in dairy products, such as ice cream, where they are not commonly used.
In the video shared by i3L University on Instagram, Andrea walks viewers through the process of preparing the crickets before incorporating them into the dessert. First, the insects are blanched and then dried in an oven for around three to five hours. They are subsequently kept in an incubator overnight to ensure they are completely dry.
The experiment is part of her thesis project, which explores an unconventional way of incorporating insects into food. Crickets are known to be a source of protein, making them an interesting ingredient for food innovation.
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Internet Reacts To The Unusual Ice Cream Ingredient
As expected, the unusual ingredient had social media users sharing their thoughts, and the reactions were quite mixed. While some appeared curious about trying the dessert, others were not quite ready to have insects in their ice cream.
One user joked about making the protein-rich ingredient at home, while another suggested trying ants as a food ingredient. Some commenters were more hesitant, with one saying they would never eat chocolate again after seeing the video. Another admitted they would love to try the ice cream, but only if they did not have to see the crickets!
Andrea also revealed that the crickets had a nutty taste when someone asked her about the flavour. She added that the insects tasted good on their own, too.
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Well, unusual food experiments are nothing new, but this one definitely makes you look at your regular chocolate ice cream a little differently. Let us know your thoughts on this in the comments!
Cover Image Courtesy: Instagram/i3l_official
FAQs
Who made chocolate ice cream using crickets?
Andrea Zefany, a food technology student at i3L University in Jakarta, Indonesia, created chocolate ice cream using crickets as part of her thesis project.
How are crickets prepared for chocolate ice cream?
The crickets are blanched, dried in an oven for three to five hours and then placed in an incubator overnight to dry completely before being used in the experiment.
Are crickets a source of protein?
Yes, crickets contain protein, which is one reason they are being explored as an ingredient in experimental food products. However, the specific protein content of Andrea’s ice cream has not been provided in the report.
