A New world of ingredients: Aspiring Chefs' Opinions on insects in gastronomy

Abstract

Insects have been absent from European diets with only few regional exceptions, making them an uncommon ingredient in the kitchens of fine dining establishments. This chapter investigates whether a piece the puzzle of understanding the temporality or permanence of edible insects in modern European diets lies in the willingness of chefs to use them as ingredients? Understanding the opinions of aspiring chefs can help us map the future use and diffusion of insects in high-gastronomy helps to speculate the pervasiveness of insects in European diets. We assess the opinions of 68 aspiring young chefs studying at the Basque Culinary Centre towards the use of insects in gastronomy. We found that there is a general willingness to experiment with different insect species in the kitchen if properly trained and educated how to do so. However, there are still some practical and cultural barriers that must be overcome to promote widespread acceptance.