Would YOU try a Käferburger? Scientists create a “meat-like flavor” by cooking insects in sugar
- Scientists wanted to find out how edible insects could be made more attractive
- They began by analyzing the flavor profile of mealworms
- When raw, the insects tasted of wet earth, shrimp, and sweetcorn
- But when cooked in sugar, the taste becomes more meat-like
The idea of munching on mealworms might sound like a challenge from the latest series of I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here.
But it could soon become a reality, as scientists claim to have transformed the insects into a “meat-like flavor.”
Wonkwang University researchers cooked mealworms with sugar and claim they taste just like real meat.
The team hopes their findings will contribute to the commercial development of meat-like and savory flavors and spices and encourage more people to try edible insects.
Wonkwang University researchers cooked mealworms with sugar and claim they taste just like real meat (stock image)
The Maillard reaction
The Maillard reaction is the reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars that gives browned food a distinctive flavor.
It happens between 140 and 165 °C (280 to 330 °F) and produces a range of aromas and flavors.
From steak to french fries to bacon, every food has its own distinct flavor compounds that form during the Maillard reaction, which has also been used to create artificial flavors.
The Maillard reaction was first described in 1912 by French physician Louis-Camille Maillard, who described that when sugar and amino acids were gently heated in water, a tan color developed.
With the world population projected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, the United Nations has recommended mass-producing insects for food.
“Edible insects can diversify diets, improve livelihoods, contribute to food and nutrition security, and have a smaller ecological footprint compared to other protein sources,” the UN said in a 2021 report.
“These potential benefits, combined with an increased interest in exploring alternative food sources that are both nutritious and environmentally benign, are driving the commercial production of insects for food and animal feed.”
Although insects are nutritious, there is still a stigma to eating them in many parts of the world.
dr Hee Cho, the project’s lead investigator, said, “Insects are a nutritious and healthy food source with high amounts of fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, fiber and high-quality protein similar to that of meat.”
In the study, the team looked at ways to make edible insects — particularly mealworms — more appealing to the masses.
First, the researchers analyzed the insects’ taste profile and found that raw larvae have flavors such as wet earth, shrimp and sweetcorn.
Next, the team assessed how the flavors change when the insects are cooked.
They found that steamed mealworms developed even stronger sweet corn-like flavors, while roasted and fried varieties exhibited shrimp-like and fried oil flavors.
Hoping to make the mealworms taste meatier, the researchers heated them with sugar, triggering the Maillard reaction — a reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars that gives browned foods a distinctive flavor.
It happens between 140-165°C (280-330°F) and produces a range of aromas and flavors.
From steak to pancakes to bacon, each type of food has its own distinct flavor compounds that form during the Maillard reaction, which has also been used to create artificial flavors.
Edible insects offer a sustainable alternative to proteins in meat and soy and could help reduce the 64 million tons of carbon dioxide released each year from the manufacture and consumption of meat-based products
In the case of mealworms, the Maillard reaction was found to produce 98 volatile compounds.
Researchers took samples from a group of volunteers to refine the ratio of mealworms to sugar until a “meat-like” smell was eventually produced.
This is the first time mealworms have been used to create desirable flavors, according to the team.
Their findings will contribute to the commercial development of meat-like and savory flavors and spices and encourage more people to try edible insects.
Following the study, the team plans to tweak the cooking process to refine a meat-like flavor from mealworms.
WHY SHOULD WE EAT INSECTS?
There are about 2,000 edible insects worldwide, many of which are high in protein, such as B. the larva of the black soldier fly, mealworms, crickets and grasshoppers.
These bugs are believed to offer a more sustainable alternative to traditional proteins found in meat and soy.
The hope is that switching to insect-based proteins could help reduce the 64 million tons of carbon dioxide released each year from the manufacture and consumption of meat products.
Some companies say their insect farms generate just four percent of the current emissions released each year from farms that raise cows, pigs and chickens.
Using insect protein as a base requires far less feed, land and water, producing fewer greenhouse gases per pound than beef, pork or chicken