In July, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) approved 16 species of insects for consumption.
From locusts to grasshoppers and mealworms, these critters, which offer a sustainable alternative to meat and are packed with protein, are now making their way onto local menus.
Curious to give these creepy crawlies a try? Here are some businesses in Singapore with insect-based offerings:
1. Fura Bar
Located on Amoy Street, Fura is a bar that aims to make sustainable dining accessible by utilising ingredients with a low carbon footprint. Among these ingredients are insects—specifically mealworms—which they incorporate into their margaritas.
To make their mealworm margaritas, the bar stir-fries and infuses them with a chilli spirit. This infusion is then mixed with orange liqueur and lime.
In addition to mealworms, Fura’s eye-catching menu features other ingredients that are either abundant or in excess, such as jellyfish—an “almost invasive pest” in the water, according to founder Sasha Wijidessa.
2. House of Seafood
At Singapore’s House of Seafood restaurant, fish-head curry is served with a side of crunchy crickets, and their tofu has insects crawling out of it. The eatery in the first in Singapore to incorporate insects into its menu following SFA’s approval.
From the approved species of edible insects, House of Seafood has included superworms, crickets, and silkworm pupae in various seafood dishes, including their signature salted egg crab, offering a diverse selection of 30 insect-infused options for diners.
3. InsectYumz
InsectYumz offers edible bugs in the form of snacks and protein powder. Their products include mealworm and cricket snacks that come in a variety of flavours such as tom yum and BBQ, as well as cricket protein powder.
The company also claims that it is the “first and largest importer and supplier” of insect food for human consumption in Singapore. They supply most of SFA’s approved list of species such as crickets, mealworms, silkworms, locusts, white grubs, and honeybees.
4. Altimate Nutrition
Altimate Nutrition is a homegrown startup that makes protein bars out of cricket-based flour. Their protein bars come in a range of flavours, including strawberry, matcha, and chocolate.
The company also sells cricket protein powder and snacks including tom yum flavoured roasted crickets and silkworms.
Beyond producing their own products, Altimate Nutrition has recently formed a joint venture known as Proteinnovation with their supplier, aimed at advancing R&D for edible insects. Through this venture, they plan to build high-tech cricket farms in Thailand to scale up the production of crickets.
5. Morus
Japanese start-up Morus produces silkworm-based products targeting high-end restaurants and health-conscious consumers.
Its products include a pure silkworm powder—which can be used as a food ingredient—along with matcha powder, protein powder, and protein bars, which are sold under the brand KAIKO.
KAIKO’s matcha protein powder is currently priced at S$248 per 500g bottle, however, more affordable options are in the works.
6. Origin Bar
For its newest menu, Shangri-La Singapore’s Origin Bar has developed a cocktail that’s chock-full of protein.
Starbugs is a blend of Japanese whisky and coffee, clarified with silk tofu and crowned with salted caramel air—but the real protein kick comes from its secret ingredient: crickets. The bar has worked with Altimate Nutrition to launch the cricket-based cocktail.
7. Takagi Ramen
For Halloween this year, Takagi Ramen is offering prawn noodles with a crunchy, free side—deep-fried mealworms. You can “prank or scare your friends” by adding them to their noodles, said the homegrown ramen chain in a press release.
The Halloween menu is available at all Takagi Ramen’s outlets, and it is priced at S$10.90. You can also get the set meal at S$12.90, which will come with one of the two new Halloween-themed drinks—the Divine Soursop Potion or the Enchanted Fruit Talisman—though they unfortunately do not come with edible insect add ons.
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As more F&B businesses in Singapore embrace alternative food sources, the future of dining may just include a few more legs.
Whether you’re a daring foodie or just simply intrigued by the idea, trying these dishes could be your first step toward a greener, more sustainable diet. Will you take the bite?
- Read other F&B articles we’ve written here.
Featured Image Credit: Altimate Nutrition/ InsectYumz/ Fura Bar/ Takagi Ramen
