How Do You Milk A Cockroach?

Could be a question we will soon be asking a lot more than you thought due to a recent study, that has found cockroach milk to be so nutrient dense it could be our best bet of a future protein source!

Now you may have heard about insects being next on our worldwide menu to provide the protein fix we humans require as a sustainable food source while other natural sources are thinning out, dying off or simply being over consumed.  ie – There has been huge ongoing debate and research over the last decade or so due to the fact that our food system seems to be literally broken, or indeed braking! You will have noticed over the last few years plant based alternatives making great breakthroughs and now scientists are thinking much more long-term and planning for the future of food.  There is ongoing debate over  consumption of animals looking at everything from the bad fats in animal/meat products, the processing of such, the treatment of the animals to produce the meat, the prices farmers are getting paid, the impact of transportation, to land, water supplies, the total environmental impact of breeding, to disease, horse meat scandals, climate change and everything in between! 

Therefore, there has been lots of research into all of the above to find the next sustainable, nutritious food source and our next  complete protein source – with the answers pointing to insects.  In Asian countries already some are seen as a delicacy, others eaten regularly already with daily meals and as snacks!   

Check this out – there is a name for it: ENTOMOPHAGY

http://www.insectsarefood.com/what_is_entomophagy.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entomophagy

If you want to find out more about eating insects as a sustainable food source, here are some articles to start you off:

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/feb/01/eating-insects-britain-foodies-wahaca

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/nov/05/eating-insects-should-part-sustainable-diet-future-report

http://www.iflscience.com/environment/will-we-all-be-eating-insects-50-years/

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/aug/05/can-eating-insects-feed-world

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20141014-time-to-put-bugs-on-the-menu

And if you want to try it – there are recipes for you here:

For crickets: http://www.insectsarefood.com/recipes.html

https://www.crunchycritters.com/edible-insect-recipes/

http://www.eatgrub.co.uk/recipes/roasting-insects/

 

Anyway – enough of that! Today I wanted to focus on one insect alone – the nasty (to some) but undeniably mighty, would probably survive the apocalypse, COCKROACH.  New research published just a few days ago has suggested it’s not them, but their MILK that could benefit us. 

Are cockroaches the new cows?   

We seem to have a great fascination these days with dairy free milk alternatives and I LOVE most of them.  You know I bang on about hemp milk, oat milk, almond milk etc and I have been using them (although I am not lactose intolerant, I am not vegan and I still eat lots of other dairy produce regularly) as I really enjoy the flavours, textures and the addition they make to my coffee and smoothies and ice cream making attempts!   

While I’m not yet convinced cockroach milk will be my dairy free alternative of choice, there are some very interesting facts in this recent study:

Here is the research paper

http://journals.iucr.org/m/issues/2016/04/00/jt5013/

So behind their dark, scaly, shell like exterior cockroaches – specifically the Pacific Beetle Cockroach as this is the only known species able to have live babies that have developed in the mother's body, instead of the mother laying eggs to develop outside her body - contain a nutrient dense milk used to feed their babies.   

This milk contains a hefty amount of protein, in addition to its energy boosting sugars, and lipids (good fats). Researchers are actually saying this could be the most nutrient dense substance – by weight – ever discovered!  It contains 4 times more energy than typical cows milk for example, making it the top contender for a protein with the most calories. 

Now I’ve mentioned calories don’t let that put you off (of course if you haven’t been put off by the fact that this is COCKROACH MILK we are talking about!)  Remember milk should predominantly be a substance to build up, to provide nutrients, fats, calories and energy to growing offspring. Its produced to aid growth and development.   So the more energy it contains – the better it is!

The milk harvested from a cockroach is actually found in crystallised form – protein crystals come from the gut of the baby cockroach as its ingested the milk from its mother. Its these “milk crystals” that scientists have discovered are a “complete” food – and therefore perhaps something for human consumption in the future.  Leonard Chavas,  one of the scientists behind the research, explains that although the crystal formation may seem surprising, other crystals, including insulin, take shape within the body for easier bodily storage, so this crystal could have potential for human consumption.

So in answer the original question – How do you milk a cockroach?  Chavas and his team go on to explain: currently the crystals are extracted from the midgut of the cockroach embryos – not the most efficient way to feed a growing world population with a broken/braking current food system.  Not a sustainable solution yet – BUT – they are hoping to reverse engineer cockroach milk so for now are furthering their investigation to understanding the exact biological and chemical mechanisms underlying the process, how to control it in a much easier way and ultimately how to bring it into mass production!

So our conclusion so far…. there is certainly no irony lost on the fact that that the cockroach (and Cher) is said to be able to survive a nuclear disaster and its turning out that it may someday provide the ultimate liquid superfood!   

However if the idea of cockroach milk disgusts you – like me - you are probably not ready for this yet.  Due to the nuclear stuff though, don’t dismiss this as a food fad, or passing trend.  Remember, the reason scientists are experimenting with bugs as alternative sources for both meat and dairy, is because our food system is broken/braking, our world population is growing at an unsustainable rate and we have to start thinking of ways to fix this.  People, populations, are still suffering mass hunger, while others are over consuming and suffering obesity epidemics, so things need to change and there is no denying that. 

If cockroach milk is the way forward but this doesn’t sit well with you, then maybe you can do something now to ease the braking system – less meat consumption, more plant based alternatives, less food waste.  Play your part now in preserving the environment and sustainable food sources if only so you don’t have to drink cockroach milk in the future!

What you think?  Are you ready for cockroach milk?  Have you eaten insects? How do they taste?  Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Google+

Contact us for more info on protein sources, complete foods, dairy alternatives: info@nitakothari.com or to book a consultation to see if you should up your protein intake, if you are thinking of changing your diet, or want to know more about foods of the future!  

 

www.nitakothari.com

 **Please remember this is advice ONLY (as is all other information contained in this blog, the website and social media related to it) None of the info or advice is intended to override any recommendation from your GP or health professional**

The Belgian Beer Bonanza!

We’ve been on holiday – we visited Bruges, Brussels and very briefly Ghent in Belgium.  It was a whirlwind – we have returned tired and ill, but it was worth it.  Now I thought I’d have recipes and foodie pics to share, however after the first 2 nights of traditional home cooked Flemish stew, followed by sausages, mash and red cabbage the dining veered off to the chip shop variety and we gorged – yes gorged – on Bicky Burgers, (www.bicky.be) frites and all things deep fried.  “All things” meaning I have no idea what the rest of it was – they told me it was a variety of meats – it all kinda looked the same really.  Honestly, apart from the Bicky burgers it wasn’t all great – think kebab when sober….

However where my culinary experiences failed, my beer drinking flourished!  So I am happy to share my pics of the beers I found, drank and enjoyed.  Even though I only sampled a small selection, I thought I’d give you some more info on the great Belgium Beers anyway – if interested you can do your own digging or make your own visits too!

(The following info has been read and verified by a true Belgian by the way!)

FACTS:

• Belgium currently has approximately 250 breweries 
• The Average Belgian drinks 84 litres of beer per year 
• Most of the stronger Belgian beers are served from a bottle (not a can) as they actually ferment for longer in the bottle itself, the storage is part of the proces 
• Plus the majority have their own unique style of glass/drinking vessel too – if a bar has run out, good bar staff would probably be embarrassed to serve beers from a bottle in the incorrect glass!

TRAPPIST MONASTERY BEERS:

• French and Flemish Abbeys first started brewing beers as a way to raise funds – since the 1100’s when this started, brewing methods have evolved but only under abbey supervision! 
• Trappist monasteries (the order originating in the Cistercian monastery, La Trappe – France) brew traditional beers/ales in Belgium.
• To qualify for Trappist certification the brewery must be in a monastery, monks must be involved in the beer production and the profits from beer sales must go back to support the monastery 
• There are currently 10 monasteries meeting these standards – 6 of which are in Belgium 
• The current Belgian Trappist producers are: 

ACHEL

CHIMAY

ORVAL

ROCHEFORT

WESTMALLE

WESTVLETEREN

ABBEY BEERS:

• There are of course many beer products made now in the same style – they are produced however in non Trappist monasteries or in commercial breweries under agreement 
• Although Abbey beers do not confirm to the rigid brewing style, they do include the most distinctive Trappist brown ales (Dubbel), strong pale ales (Trpel) and blonde ales (Blonde)

BELGIAN BEER TYPES:

If you want to find out more, as far as I can distinguish from chats and internet searching – there are a number of Belgian Beer Types – this may be the easiest way to distinguish and find out more about the ones you like:

Blonde (golden) Ales – eg:  DUVEL (www.duvel.com) is one of Belgium’s most popular blondes 
 
Brown Ale/Dubbel – classic Trappist or Abbey style.  Strong beers, typically between 6-8% 

Lambic (fruit wheat beers) – the most common being KRIEK (www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kriek_lambic) made with sour cherries 

Flemish Red – a sour style ale originally from West Flanders.  My favourite and best example being BUCCHAS 

Pils / pale lager – The bulk of beer production and consumption in Belgium, top brand being JUPILER (www.jupiler.be *you may want to use google translate for this page) or Stella Artois as distributed globally 

Tripel (strong pale ale) First associated with WESTMALLE (www.trappistwestmalle.be/en/page/home.aspx) and now widely copied across Belgium and other countries 

White (wheat beer) originated in the Flemish part of Belgium with HOEGAARDEN (www.hoegaarden.com)  being the most famous wheat beer producing town

GLASSES AND DRINKING:

• Bottled beers are often served in elaborate glassware 
• More often than not, bars have specific glasses and each beer will be served in its own glass 
• This is to A) trap aromas B) maintain the correct head and C) create a visual sensation too!

So from the beers I sampled I’d like to recommend the following:

In 3^rd place - Delirium – (blonde/golden ale) voted one of the best beers in the world for the last 3 years.  The delirium café in Brussels actually stocks over 2000 Belgian beers on its menu – 2000!

 

Runner up in 2^nd - La Chouffe – (pale ale) with a hint of coriander (apparently!)  Can’t say I could taste that, but there was a certain something that made it stand out from any other paler beers I sampled

 

And my very favourite – my winner of all beers = BACCHUS – (old Flemish brown ale) with a fruity sour accent – in a good way!  It’s from West Flanders and with relatively “low” alcohol content at just 4.5%.

I’d also like to give a shout out to YESTERDAYS WORLD The BEST bar we found in Bruges, with the advantage that it’s like walking into a treasure chest. My only recommendation is GO THERE and SEE FOR YOURSELF.  Wonderful beers, atmosphere, hospitality and decoration. 

   

Finally as a word of warning – obviously you can only visit the websites listed and taste these beers if you are of legal drinking age PLUS please beware Belgian beers are typically much stronger than a pint down the local British pub.  We may be used to a full pint of 3.5-5% lager, but 7-8% is common and 10-11% beers are not rare in the Belgian bars.

For more info please visit www.nitakothari.com You can email us on info@nitakothari.com and see our Facebook page. You can also follow and tweet us here: Twitter and see the beer images and more on Instagram

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**Please remember this is nutritional advice ONLY (as is all other information and advice contained in this blog and the websites and social media related to it) – none of the info or advice is intended to override any recommendation from your GP or health professional**

**In this case, please drink responsibly and of course be aware alcohol is to be consumed by and the related beer websites are to be visited by those of the legal drinking age only**