Anyone interested in a unique, “buggy” experience is welcomed to the Incredible Edible Insect Festival at 10:15 a.m. and at 1:15 p.m. Friday, April 27.
The event will be held in the Woodard Hall conference room at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. Yong Park, UAPB associate professor of entomology, will be the presenter.
“Park’s presentation will introduce participants to insects as a nutritional supplement, a protein source to diets,” according to a news release. “It will be followed by a tasting of crispy chocolate chip cookies, egg rolls, and perhaps either chocolate covered crickets or cooked meal worms, and a question and answer session.”
The recipes for the cookies and egg rolls are winning ones developed by Park. His egg roll recipe was selected as the number one favorite at the Incredible Edible Insect Festival in New Orleans by participants, and his cookie recipe placed second.
“Insects are already included in the diets of citizens of Thailand, Indonesia, South Korea and Vietnam,” Park said. “In some countries, termites are considered a delicacy.”
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
The insects for the recipes were purchased from a Fluker supplier. He said they are young, tender and safe for human consumption.
Introductory entomology (undergraduate) and advanced pest management (graduate students) will serve the cookies and egg rolls and interact with participants.
Woodard Hall is located near the corner of L.A. “Prexy” Davis Drive and Watson Boulevard.
The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff offers all of its Extension and Research programs and services without discrimination.
— Carol Sanders is a writer/editor at the UAPB School of Agriculture, Fisheries and Human Sciences.