Most of the time when we hear about bugs and food, it’s an unfortunate and unintended event that leads to disgust, repulsion and often, an apology from any business involved. This time it’s different: a burger chain is putting insects on the menu on purpose, after an April Fool’s joke proved to be popular with customers.
It’s not like the little critters will be staring back at you when you go to take a sip, however: Wayback Burgers is introducing an Oreo mud pie cricket protein milkshake made with Peruvian chocolate-flavored cricket powder on July 1 for a limited time, reports CNBC.
The bug shake was just a prank Wayback pulled on customers to get them talking about the chain, but because the response was so positive during a brief test of the item on Long Island, the company decided to go forward and make the insect treat an official menu item.
“We had it for two hours. There were people lined up to try it,” John Eucalitto, president at Wayback Burgers said.
The chain tested somewhere between 20 and 30 different variations on the recipe, trying five flavors of cricket powder before coming up with its final product. As for the taste, Eucalitto said the cricket powder isn’t strong, and that he thinks the shake tastes “great.”
Right now the shakes are slated to stay on menus from July through the end of September, if they prove successful enough they may get a permanent slot. If, of course, customers can stomach the idea.
“People think maybe we’re grinding up crickets in the back room,” which isn’t the case, Eucalitto said, noting that the insects are all farm-raised domestically.
Burger chain adds bugs to the menu…on purpose [CNBC]
by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist