Locusts for morning tea, anyone?
17 Aug 2020
Locusts, shallow pan fried with herbs and spices, were a popular morning tea choice on Thursday 13 August when the Year 12 Agribusiness students offered free samples of edible insects.
About 100 boys, wannabe Bear Grylls perhaps, tried crickets, grasshoppers, and mealworms, flavoured with garlic and herbs, lightly salted, or chocolate and chilli, but most popular by far were the meatier locusts. Several staff also tried some of the delicious food, including Executive Principal Garth Wynne who was seen devouring more than one of the tasty, crunchy locusts which were kindly prepared by the College kitchen staff and served enticingly on a toothpick.
“It was a good chance for the agribusiness boys to show the benefits of eating insects – both for the environment and for health,” says Dr Mike Field.
Along with the wildlife, the morning tea comprised delicious biscuits baked with cricket flour, and prepared by the Wynn-Williams family.
Mike Field says the whole exercise was part of an NCEA assessment whereby Year 12 Agribusiness boys learn how to gather data, conduct interviews and present their findings.
Through their investigation the boys discovered that 68% of the 148 College boys and staff who were surveyed during or after the morning tea, would be happy to have insects as part of a regular diet.
