REPORT: Scorpions, grasshoppers, and beetles served at trendy Parisian bar

Amid bites of fresh avocado, roasted red peppers, curried ginger, and quail egg, patrons of Parisian restaurant 'Le Festin Nu' will also crunch into scorpions, grasshoppers, and giant water bugs.        

'Le Festin Nu', which name was inspired by American novelist William Burroughs' book 'The Naked Lunch', is located in the heart of the trendy 18th arrondissement and is the first restaurant in Paris to incorporate insects onto its menu.                                 

26-year-old chef and owner of the bar, Elie Daviron, is the creative mind behind these unusual plates.                     

Why eat insects? Daviron cited several reasons, the first being ecological benefits. Insects are less expensive in terms of money, water, and space, for the planet to produce than traditional meats. Critters are also an excellent source of protein and rich in omega 3 fatty acids, he told Reuters Television.         

Above all, however, by incorporating insects onto his menu, Daviron aims to offer customers a unique culinary opportunity.                       

"Today what I'm offering is an experience, which in my opinion, belongs exactly to what a restaurant does: its pleasure above everything, some transgression, an ambience. I'm not saving the world, I'm proposing an experience," Daviron said.                     

The insects arrive salted and sealed in packages from Thailand. This preservation does not distort the critters' shape -- eyes, wings, crooked legs, and antennae are delivered and served intact.           

While some might cringe at the idea of eating beetles garnished with pesto, Davilon said customers' responses to the dishes have been largely positive.
                          
"The reaction has been very good. Even the more skeptical customers end up tasting it, everyone tries it, or almost. Those who are most afraid begin with the smallest insects and finally try the scorpions," Daviron said.                           

Because the insects arrive pre-packaged, pre-preserved, and ready to eat, Daviron directly incorporates them onto small plates.                 

These tapas range from five to nine euros, and Le Festin Nu customers are eager taste the traditionally taboo critters.                  

"It was a bit like an appetizer that you would have at a party. The taste reminded me of a peanut, with a toasted flavor. So, the taste wasn't bad, but the problem is that the product is very small and it's not very practical to eat because it's covered in sauce and you can't eat the wings because the wings, you can't swallow them," said one customer, Laura Dandelot.            

The bar offered its first plate of insect-inspired tapas at the beginning of October.


REUTERS



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