Bugs For Breakfast at Three Danhostels

Danhostel’s three City hostels have taken the initiative to put extra focus on sustainable foods made from selected insects.

The three hostels will start with four dishes with insects as the main ingredients. The four new dishes will be added to the breakfast buffet from June 7, 2017, and for the first time, summer guests at the three hostels can choose one or more of the dishes as an alternative or supplement to their breakfast menu.

By August, the idea is that overnight guests and meeting participants will be able to choose to include insects as part of their meals or consume them as a new and unique snack. For this initiative, we will work in conjunction with Nina Askov from Buglady.dk (page is in Danish), who has a bachelor’s degree in nutrition and health.

The three hostels behind the initiative are Danhostel Copenhagen Amager, Danhostel Copenhagen City and Danhostel Copenhagen Bellahøj. 

The four dishes included in the breakfast buffet at the three Danhostels are:

• Super muffins with apple-apricot-almond and lesser mealworms

• Crispbread prepared with mealworm flour

• Baked wax moth larvae

• Chapulines - Mexican grasshoppers prepared with, for example, lime

The three Danhostels will purchase frozen insects from two suppliers who are approved by the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration.  They are:

• Kalu A / S imports grasshoppers, mealworms, wax moth larvae and lesser mealworms from farms in Belgium.

• Dininsektbutik.dk imports insect flour and freeze-dried insects, crickets, mealworms, lesser mealworms and grasshoppers.

Why should consumers and businesses focus on the use of insects in our cooking? Insects are called "superfoods" because:

• The protein content is the same as meat and fish

• They contain essential fatty acids, Omega 3 and 6

• They contain a large quantity of fibre

• They contain minerals such as calcium, zinc, iron, potassium

• They contain B12 vitamin

Here are a few recipes you might like to try...

SUPER MUFFINS WITH APPLE/APRICOT/ALMOND AND LESSER MEALWORM FLOUR

Makes 12 muffins

150 g lesser mealworm flour
300 g chopped almonds
375 g chopped, dried apricots
300 g dark brown sugar
180 g oatmeal
3 tsp baking powder
6 tsp cardamom
300 g graham flour
600 g plain white flour
225 g melted butter
9 dl milk
6 eggs
6 roughly grated apples

Blend the dry ingredients in a bowl.  Melt the butter in a casserole and add milk, eggs and the grated apples.  Gently combine the ingredients – do not overmix. Line muffin pans with paper and divide the mix evenly.  Bake in a preheated oven at 175 degrees for 20-23 minutes. After 20 minutes, check the middle of the muffins using a clean knife.  If the knife comes out wet, bake for an additional 3 minutes.    

CRISPBREAD WITH MEALWORM FLOUR

Makes about 40 crispbreads

300 g mealworm flour
6 dl finely chopped pecan nuts
3 dl sesame seeds
3 dl oatmeal
3 dl sunflower seeds
3 dl graham flour
6 dl white flour
3 tsp fine salt
9 tsp liquorice powder
3 pinches cayenne pepper
3 tsp baking powder
3 dl rapeseed oil
7.5 dl water

Blend all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.  Add oil and water mix well.  Divide the mix into 2 and roll each out separately between 2 pieces of baking paper until the dough is very thin. Remove the top baking paper and cut the dough in crispbread sizes.  Bake both in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees for about 17-20 minutes.

CHAPULINES – THE MEXICAN WAY

This recipe is simple and delicious.  In Mexico, grasshoppers are served with lime juice, salt and chilli as a snack or as the filling for tacos.  They taste great with a cold beer. They come highly recommended.  TRY THEM!

Makes enough for 10 people

150 g of thawed grasshoppers (without legs) with lime juice
5.5 tbsp rapeseed oil
2.5 tsp fine salt
2.5 tsp chipotle chilli powder

Blend all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Place grasshoppers (evenly spaced) on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and bake them in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees for 20 minutes.  They should be crunchy, but not burnt.  Remove from oven and add salt to taste if preferred.

CRUNCHY WAX MOTH LARVAE

Yields a plateful

150 g wax moth larvae
1 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 tsp fine salt
1 tsp smoked paprika or barbeque seasoning

Preheat oven to 175 degrees. Mix the frozen wax moth larvae with oil, salt and paprika.  Place them evenly on a baking tray lined with baking paper.  Bake for 17-20 minutes, but keep an eye on them so that they become crunchy, but not burnt.  If not crunchy, then bake for a few more minutes.

STONE-AGE BREAD WITH MEALWORM

Mealworms provide both fibre and protein so you feel full longer

Makes 1 bread

1 dl chia seeds
1 dl sunflower seeds
1 dl pumpkin seeds
1 dl linseeds
1 dl hazelnuts
100 g baked mealworm
1 tsp salt
½ tsp dried thyme
4 large or 5 small eggs
1 dl rapeseed oil

Start by baking the mealworms.  Place mealworms on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and bake in a pre-heated oven at 175 degrees for about 10 minutes.

To make the bread, place the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and blend well with the eggs and rapeseed oil. Place in a well-oiled bread pan and bake at 160 degrees for 45 minutes.  

BON APPETIT!!!