Worms in the burger – when I bite into the meatball, I feel completely different

Nothing beats a delicious burger. About once a month I treat myself to a juicy beef patty with all the trimmings: Bacon, onion, beefsteak tomato, pickle, lettuce, BBQ sauce…

Also today I will eat a burger, but not an ordinary one. For the first time in my life I’m trying an “insect burger”. Having not found such specialties either in supermarkets or in restaurants, I order on the Internet.

I’m trying burgers made from humanely raised worms

The courier brings a handy package. Contents: an “insect burger”. The full-bodied announcement on the narrow bag is somewhat misleading. Because it is just a powder that I later have to form into a burger mass with water and fry it.

According to the manufacturer, the 110 grams of Bratmix powder contain “29 percent buffalo worm powder”, of course from “buffalo worms raised in the EU in a species-appropriate manner”, which reassures me a lot. Species-appropriate is always good. Just imagine the worms being tormented! Other ingredients: soy strips, linseed flour, onion flakes, baking powder, baking soda and psyllium husks.

“Enjoy burgers without harming the environment. Made from sustainable edible insects” – that’s what the label says. And elsewhere “super delicious!” There you go, what more could you ask for? Wonderful food and at the same time protect the climate, a dream!

In addition, I learn a lot of new things. For example, insect breeding uses 15,000 times less water, four times less feed, 100 times less emissions and 12.5 times less space than cattle breeding. Who would have thought? My good conscience eats with me!

Good for the climate, good for your conscience, good for your health

And of course I do something for my health. Many types of insects, I read from an expert online, contain “large amounts of valuable proteins and are rich in important trace elements such as iron, zinc and B vitamins”. Compared to meat, they also contain “significantly more unsaturated fatty acids”. Well then, let’s go!

In the kitchen I reach for a bowl in which I usually knead ground beef. Open the bag, put the powder in, pour in the water and do what the manufacturer recommends: “Mix well with a spoon for about 1 minute”. Then add vegetable oil to the pan, heat and “sauté for 10 – 12 minutes, turning occasionally”.

Nothing easier than that! However, I wonder if the consistency of the mass is exactly according to the regulations. She seems a bit tight to me. The color, which is reminiscent of a scouring pad after wiping, doesn’t exactly make an appetizing impression. Yellow grains can be seen in the grey-brown pulp. He smells a bit like liverwurst. It must be so, I think.

Somehow I have to get the idea out of my head that I’m squeezing heated worms between two halves of a bun and biting into them heartily. The only thing that will probably help is: close your eyes and through!

Okay, the burger is done and ready to be eaten. I put it to my mouth, bite into it – and hesitate. Should I really swallow the crispy fried worm dumpling? I can’t make it A bland, sticky, slightly nutty taste spreads, I bite down on grains – and spit it out.

You can accuse me of approaching the matter with a certain skepticism and therefore not being 100% neutral in my judgment. On the other hand, if it were a real delicacy, why shouldn’t I be hooked on insect food?

Such creations are not my cup of tea, that’s for sure. And apparently I’m not the only one who is suspicious of worm burgers and simply doesn’t like them.

Hype about crawling animals is over in Germany

At least in Germany, the hype about crawling animals on the plate seems to be over. Supermarkets and restaurant chains that publicly touted “insect food” not too long ago have since backtracked.

The Rewe Group said at the request of FOCUS online that you see “only a minor relevance for the processing of insects in food”. That is why there are currently neither Rewe nor Penny “own brand products that use insect powder”. Thomas Bonrath, spokesman for the Rewe Group in Cologne: “There are no considerations to do this either.” Even branded products with the ingredient insects are “not listed centrally”.

The grocer Tegut has also become cautious. “When insects were approved in 2018, we listed various insect products like flours and burger patties for a while. Due to the low demand, these products were sold off in the course of 2020 and then delisted.” Matthias Pusch, Head of Corporate Communications Tegut, on FOCUS online.

“Hans im Glück”: Insect burger no longer available

At the burger chain “Hans im Glück” (more than 90 locations throughout Germany) you will also no longer find insect burgers on the menu. In 2019, the company offered the “day after tomorrow” for several months – an insect patty with buffalo worms, the larvae of the grain mold beetle. After that it was over – despite “significantly exceeded” expectations and positive customer feedback.

A spokeswoman for “Hans im Glück” told FOCUS online: “Of course there were considerations of permanently including the ‘day after tomorrow’ in our range, but for both operational and perspective reasons we have focused more on the Plant Based topic (plant-based, the editors) concentrated.”

In addition, the market for insect food is “unfortunately not big enough at the moment to guarantee a permanent, nationwide offer at an attractive price,” said the spokeswoman. “Society is actually more reserved when it comes to insect food than in other countries.”

My worm experiment ends with a clear conclusion

Have I regretted my worm experiment? No, absolutely not. If you want to have a say in the topic of “food of the future”, you have to try it yourself. But my need for insects is covered for now.

I prefer the classic burger with a juicy beef patty. Have a good meal!