Protein Cookies Made From Worm Flour Are A Hit In Bolivia

Video: Protein Cookies Made From Worm Flour Are A Hit In Bolivia

Video: Protein Cookies Made From Worm Flour Are A Hit In Bolivia
Video: Bolivia: Hungry? These WORM cookies are a nutritious treat 2024, November
Protein Cookies Made From Worm Flour Are A Hit In Bolivia
Protein Cookies Made From Worm Flour Are A Hit In Bolivia
Anonim

Protein cookies, made from flour from crushed worms, are a culinary hit in Bolivia, reports the magazine Science is Avnir. The delicacy, which is made from crushed earthworms, is available in more and more stores in the South American country.

Making worm meal is not as easy as many would think

Earthworms must be collected first, of course. They are then placed in a mixture of water and salt, where they are left until they die writhing.

The dead reptiles are arranged in trays and dried for about 1 hour in an oven at a temperature of 50 degrees, cooled and ground, explains the whole process Lady Rios, who is one of the workers in the company, a manufacturer of biscuits.

worms
worms

The owner of the business, located in the small town of Paracay, near the city of Cochabamba, is 26-year-old Jesus Orelana.

He shared that the idea came to him after a visit to Mexico, where he was impressed to see examples of lubrication - breeding worms.

In fact, flour is not made from any worms, but from California worms. During their processing, they are subjected to a special treatment to remove their intestines.

In this way, the purity of the final product is guaranteed, because the worms are able to swallow food equivalent to their own weight on a daily basis - ie. about 1.5 years

flour
flour

The production of flour from crushed worms is a laborious process, because 16 kg of worms are needed to produce only 900 g of flour.

Orelana's company manages to produce nearly 125 kg of biscuits per month and fails to meet demand at this stage.

According to people who have tried the delicacy, it is delicious. In addition, worm meal is good for health because it increases [muscle mass], improves brain function and prevents anemia.

Scientists from the Faculty of Medicine and Biochemistry at San Simov University in Cochabamba have studied its beneficial ingredients and found that 100 grams of worm meal is made up of 44.7 percent pure protein.

In addition, it is rich in calcium, iron, phosphorus and various amino acids important for the growth and functioning of the immune system.

In the production of useful protein cookies from worm flour, barley, bean and wheat flour are added, as well as chia, calcium and omega-3 fatty acids.

Recommended: