A short talk with Casè Oliveira, professor in Biology, writer, bugs-cooking expert and ASBRACI (Brazilian associatoion of insects breeders) representative
Tell us how you got involved in the edible insects world
I have eaten edible insects since I was a kid, I lived on a farm and I always ate ants and when I went to university I graduated in anthropoentomofagia and I started cooking to test the recipes.
Are modern brazilians ready to eat edible insects as an ordinary food?
Yes. The acceptance is very good, but they need to be in the recipes in the form of ingredients. The whole insects infact still cause disgust.
Do you think that consuming products containing insects will be normal among the younger urban generations?
Yes, the younger generation are generally more open-minded. The edible insects industry needs to catch their attention through sustainable and modern products.
What’s the role of the chefs in educating people to use edible insects as an ingredient in the daily cooking?
Chefs have a very important role in influencing the people, because they are present in the media and social networks and the younger generations are connected with the gastronomy mainly by these channels.
What are the edible insects dishes you love to cook?
I like to experiment with regional foods, using PANC (Non-traditional edible plants): Ora pro nobis (Pereskia aculeata), Taioba (Xanthosama sagittifolium), Peixinho (Stachys byzantina), with excellent results. I love to make pankes with cassava flour…and crickets!
What are your future projects regarding the topic “cooking with insects”?
My projects are mainly related to spread information through the media but also with congresses, events and collaborations with gastronomy and nutrition universities, not forgetting my once-a-month “Experience Ento” with tasting of dishes based on insects and edible peppers.
