ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — NEST Cafe, the Quad Cities' only pay-what-you-can restaurant, is inviting the public to an evening of education and tasting all around edible insects on Saturday, May 11.
World renowned Chef Joseph Yoon will join NEST Cafe's Chef Elly Vos as they present some favorite, 'non-threatening' Midwest dishes with a buggy twist. Each one will have edible insects worked into the recipes.
And if you're worried about creepy crawlies, never fear. All of the insects will be in powder form and none will be live.
The event will begin at 6 p.m. on May 11 at 1524 4th Avenue in Rock Island. Tickets are $40 a person and can be purchased here.
The menu will include:
- pizza flatbread with cricket powder
- deviled eggs with ants
- potato skins with crickets
- focaccia bread with cricket powder and ant compound butter
- buggy mac & cheese
- peanut butter chocolate buckeye with ants
- NEST's signature fruit crumble with whole mealworms
So why host this event? According to NEST, it's all about learning.
It's estimated 80% of the world's nations eat insects. There are more than 2,000 species of edible insects. And it may not be as 'unfamiliar' as one would think. Shell fish are considered the sea cousins of land insects.
Insect protein is now being considered as a sustainable option in food justice. It's becoming an even more important option as the world tries to figure out how to feed 10 billion people by the year 2050.
Space to this event is limited.
Tune into The Current from 4 to 5 p.m. on weekdays to catch live interviews impacting you, your family and your hometown as well as all of the biggest headlines of the day.
Watch more news, weather and sports on News 8's YouTube channel