Bugfest at Canadian National Exhibition

16-year-old Amber comes to CNE every year to check out the innovative “wacky foods”. She said, “It’s always CNE where you get to know how daring you can be when it comes to eating. I come every year to do a dare-o-meter test on me.”

While bugs are part of the cuisine in many South East Asian countries, in Canada eating bugs is not common.

48-year old Humber College Professor and Chef of Bug Bistro, Mark Jachecki, the food joint selling bug dogs at the CNE said it’s the “shock and wow factor” that brings this innovative foodie idea on the table.

Jachecki explained, “Bugs are first roasted with honey and mustard or lime and chilli depending on the dish on offer, followed by a crispy oven treatment.”

He further said, “It all started as an experimental edible, but it is healthy food too.”

Entomo Farms, which supplies the tiny creatures at the carnival, said, “Eating insects can save our planet from devastation.”

They further demonstrated the health benefits of eating insects, “Insects are a true superfood. Low in calories, contains almost three times more protein than beef, low in fats.”

They also said, “Mealworms contain more iron than spinach, more calcium than milk. They are 20 times more fortified with Vitamin B12 than beef.”

Although the worms look wriggly and wacky, “they are a storehouse of all nine essential amino acids, have a perfect Omega 3:6 ratios and also high in Prebiotics for Gut Biome Health.”

25-year-old Graeme Moore, a student of nutrition, who came to CNE for tasting the bug dog said, “It is all-beef inside, which is soft and chewy, and then suddenly you come across the crunchy spicy crickets on top of it laid over a salad bed. Not only does it taste awesome but as a student of nutrition I can vouch it’s worth eating it as you get a good dose of protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals.”

On the other hand, 25-year-old Chelsea, who was celebrating her birthday said, “Clicking a picture with this wacky hot dog is all I wanted. I am not eating it but just wanted a picture with this popular food item at the CNE.”

For Marko Furlani, president of a construction business, eating the bug dog is a combination of thrill and pleasure.

He said, “The wow factor is you do not know the taste. You were eating a beef filled taco and suddenly you get a crunchy taste and then you know it’s a cricket that you’re hogging.”

His wife Kim, who is pregnant, remarked, “I can’t have it because the baby doesn’t like it.” She felt wacky at the sight of the bugs falling from the taco at times.

Available on the offer at Bug Bistro are crispy veggie rolls loaded with shredded veggies and crunchy mealworms, tacos, hotdogs, a desert tart with a helping of bugs on cream, crickety lime pie and a beetle juice smoothie made up of butter milk, roasted mealworm powder and mango pulp.

(Reporting and images by Debarati Mukherjee)