A Pinch of Salt, a Teaspoon of Butter and Half a Cup of Termites

As befits the midwest cicada bloom, Kenyan-born economist Monica Ayieko has just finished four years of research on turning insects into a viable local food source for famine-stricken African countries.

She urges Africans to emulate the Chinese, Japanese and Thai, who have successfully developed a variety of dishes and cuisines and published books on preparation of insect dishes.

To make the cookies, meat loaves and sausages the crushed, sun-dried termites and mayflies are mixed with flour, raising agents, salt and sugar then baked under controlled temperature in a conventional oven.

To make sausages the insect powder is mixed with husk fillers, eggs and food additives then rolled.

Part of me wants to say this sounds gross -- but yesterday I ate a sausage-and-bacon pizza from my dilapidated local pizza joint, and it probably would have been more appetizing if it were made from insects.

Working towards food security [The Standard]