Apparently not.
University of Otago food science researchers have uncovered all kinds of new uses for the humble huhu grub, turning it from a wild food to a pantry staple.
It is capable of being turned into salad dressings, desserts, dips, and perhaps even milk.
Research co-author and project supervisor Dr Dominic Agyei said researchers had been investigating the nutritional value of huhu and sago grubs, and found the rich and high-quality proteins of the insects gives them potential uses in a variety of foods.
The insects were dried and ground up into a powder, before proteins were extracted from them.
"Edible insects have a growing reputation as an excellent source of important nutrients such as proteins, fat, and minerals.
"But we felt the general public was less aware that insect proteins can also have functional properties — the things that make food look and taste good and be appealing."
Lead author and PhD candidate Ruchita Kavle said both grub proteins had the ability to create stronger gels, foams and emulsions.
"To put this in context, if you had used the insect proteins to make a cappuccino, the foam would still be sitting on top of your coffee after more than an hour.
"These properties make it excellent for use in products like mayonnaise, salad dressings, ice cream, desserts, dips such as hummus, and perhaps in huhu grub milk.
"By including grub protein in these foods, their nutritional value would be boosted."
Edible insects also contributed to eight of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, she said.
"Rearing insects is a low-resource business opportunity which emits fewer greenhouse gases than other animal-based food sources.
"Insects can also be raised on food waste, which is great for building a circular economy and sustainability."
However, more research needed to be done to understand the social and psychological factors that controlled people’s motivation to try novel foods.
"Without consumer buy-in, the many benefits of insects as a source of food cannot be realised.
"A bigger market would also drive interest from entrepreneurs and researchers, which can drive prices down for the consumer."
As with most new things, the proof was always in the pudding, she said.
So in a bid to get people to try food made with insects, the research team will give members of the public an opportunity to try ice cream made with crickets as part of the New Zealand International Science Festival.
It will be at the Edible Insects: Treat or Trick event on July 8, from 2pm to 4pm.
