Making crickets cool to eat
In recent years, several start-ups have endeavored to sell Americans on the idea of eating insects. It may be awhile yet before this sustainable source of protein hops or crawls into the cupboards of mainstream consumers, but early adopters may be tempted by the popular flavors of seasoned crickets offered by Aspire Food Group.
The company has operations in Ghana, where it commercially farms palm weevil larvae, and in the United States, where it raises food-grade crickets on a commerical scale. Under the brand name Aketta, the company offers a range of whole roasted crickets in flavors such as Texas barbecue, sea salt and vinegar, taco and sour cream and onion, as well as a line of paleo granola bites in nutty chocolate chip and maple cashew varieties.
Mohammed Ashour, co-founder and chief executive officer, was honored at the Winter Fancy Food Show’s 2018 Leadership Awards for leading efforts to feed a growing global population with a lesser impact on the environment.
