Grub's Up! A meal fit for a king at Thinktank. Courtesy Thinktank.
Never mind ‘I’m a celebrity get me out of here’ – this half term at Thinktank, Birmingham’s science museum at Millennium Point, an exhibition for children has attracted a feverish crowd all eager to chow down on some good old fashioned grub.
Thinktank’s ‘Eating Creepy Crawlies’ exhibition (covered in detail on our Show Me site) has attracted a daily average of 2,400 visitors, that’s 40 per cent more than at the same period last year. The concept of entomophagy, that’s eating bugs to you and me, has been a phenomenal success.
"It's been a fantastic half term with numbers up considerably against the same dates last year," said Stewart Dobson, Chief Executive at Thinktank and Millennium Point.
A new playmate? Or perhaps a meal for two? Courtesy Thinktank.
‘Eating Creepy Crawlies’ celebrates an alternative food source found right across the world and the human consumption of creepy crawlies. In the course of a week, over 28,800 Mexican Spice Mealworms have been eagerly munched and crunched by school children and visitors alike.
Yes, you read correctly. Nice. Don’t be alarmed at the idea of maggots for breakfast and spiders for tea, as apparently we eat insects every day.
Whether it's spiders in your sleep or insect body parts in your chocolate, its bound to have happened at some time. And do you know what? They’re good for you. There are over 1,400 edible insects in the world, all of which are highly nutritious. So there you are.
Of course there are places in the world where eating bugs and insects is a necessary part of survival and the witchetty grub for instance is considered something of a delicacy.
Roast tarantula on a bed of pancetta mash adorned with a rosehip and wild berry jus anyone? Anyone? © Peter Menzel 04.
However, while many insects are packed with protein, vitamins and calories, before getting down your hands and knees in search of a cheap meal, I suggest you log onto the Eating Creepy Crawlies site and get some useful facts and info regarding the consumption of insects.
The exhibition is an educational tool, and is packed with fun things for kid’s to do, there’s animatronics, interactive insects and just to freak out the parents, real live Giant Millipedes and Hissing Cockroaches. Not one for vegetarians or the squeamish, but fun packed and educational none the less.
Eating creepy crawlies runs until August 28 and is supported by interactive theatre shows, gallery experiments and fun workshops on weekends and holidays; visit www.eatingcreepycrawlies.co.uk for more information.
