This is definitely one of zanier superfood trends out there. Yes, people are actually claiming that cockroach milk is the energy-rich superfood of the future. Back in 2016, research was released that reported the milky-substance that cockroaches produced to feed their offspring was one of the most nutritionally dense substances on the planet. Published in the Journal of the International Union of Crystallography, the study found that cockroach milk contains three times more calories than the equivalent mass of buffalo milk, which was then considered the most calorie-rich milk produced by a mammal. Cockroach milk is also said to be rich in protein and amino acids. The substance, which was hesitantly tasted by those included in the study, was said to have little to no taste.
Unsurprisingly, a cockroach cannot be ‘milked’ like other mammals so mass production would most probably have to rely on genetically-induced production. As more people search for dairy-free alternatives that boost health, the demand for cockroach milk might be the trend of the future. The milk substance would also be a particularly environmentally-friendly and highly sustainable product. There are a few brave South African-based companies that are experimenting with the milk, most notably the company Gourmet Grubb, which has released an ice cream that makes use of the stomach-churning ingredient. One question remains: What lengths would you go to to get your superfood health kick?
