It is safe to say that, here in Canada, cricket powder definitely isn’t a “traditional” ingredient. In fact, it is only in the last few years that cricket powder has been added to the shelfs of your favourite grocery stores. Hence, when all of us here at Näak encounter people who have only recently discovered this awesome ingredient, we often get confronted with the same question: “how do I use it?”. If you’re curious about cricket powder and how to integrate it to your diet, keep on reading this article!

Why add cricket powder to your diet?

Cricket powder is actually a superfood with tons of nutritional benefits: it is a complete source of protein i.e. contains all the essential amino acids, and it provides 2X more protein than beef, 2X more iron than spinach, 1.6X more calcium than milk, and 7X more vitamin B12 than salmon on a per weight basis! Hence, the nutritious nature of cricket powder makes it a great addition to your diet!

Not only is cricket powder a superfood, it is also one of the most sustainable protein source in the world. Producing cricket powder requires less resources than dairy protein, not to mention is creates less waste. For instance, cricket farming requires 2000X less water, 13X less land, 12X less feed, and produces 100X less greenhouse gases than beef farming!

Baking with cricket powder

There is a common misconception when it comes to cricket powder, which is that the termcricket powder can be used interchangeably with the termcricket flour. Cricket powder isnot cricket flour. In fact, the term flour refers to thepowder obtained from certain types of cereals and legumes (not insects!). Flour has many functional properties in baked goods, for instance it plays an important role in the strength and texture of the finished product. On the other hand, cricket powder is rich in protein, fibre and good fats. Hence, you cannot replace traditional flour with cricket powder in a 1:1 ratio. However, in a recipe that calls for 1 cup of flour, you can substitute 1/4 cup of flour with 1/4 cup of cricket powder without affecting the taste and texture of your bakes goods!

Cooking with cricket powder

Cooking with cricket powder is just as simple as baking with it! While the powder has a slightly nutty flavour, when it is added to meals it will absorb the flavours of whatever you are cooking it with. Hence, you can feel free to had which ever amount of powder you desire to your meal and benefit from this nutrient-rich superfood.

Popularity of cricket powder

If you need some inspiration in the kitchen, look no further!

• You can read our recipe on how to make banana bread with cricket powder.
• You can try a few recipes using cricket powder with Madame Labriski's book  Bye-bye sucre refine, bonjour purée de dattes!

If you need some inspiration in the kitchen,click here for cricket powder recipes that you will love!