At Jimini’s, we have been producing food products made from edible insects since 2012! We offer a range of different products: whole seasoned insects, both savory and sweet (perfect for aperitifs with friends and other everyday snacks), as well as sweet and savory grocery products such as granolas, pasta, and protein bars made with insect powder. More recently, we have introduced insect flour to be used in your meals and snacks.
“Insect flour” – but how is that possible? You know wheat flour, buckwheat flour, chestnut flour, and even spelt flour. But you had never heard of insect flour before, had you?
What exactly is insect flour?
Also known as insect powder, it naturally retains the nutritional benefits of whole insects in a more concentrated form: proteins, minerals, amino acids, omegas – it’s all there. It is the perfect solution for those hesitant to consume whole insects: invisible to the eye and undetectable in the mouth. Since insects are not plants, we should actually refer to it as powder. It is made from dehydrated insects ground into small particles, similar in size to those found in any plant-based flour.
What is insect flour generally used for?
Currently, it is mainly used as an ingredient to enrich certain products with nutrients, such as our Jimini’s protein bars. It can also be found in some aperitif biscuits, crackers, and even in smoothies or protein shakes!
We can even go further by using insect flour in preparations designed to replace traditional animal or plant-based proteins, such as tofu or even insect-based burgers.
Insect flour can also be used “as is” or mixed with other flours. It can be consumed on its own for its nutritional qualities or incorporated into baked goods, such as bread, cakes, cookies, insect shortbread, and financiers.
So, insect flour or insect powder?
Let’s not overcomplicate things – by definition, the word “flour” means “a powder obtained by grinding a food into small particles.” Since the two terms are synonymous, everyone can choose the one they prefer. For us, “flour” makes more sense in the context of food.
What exactly is in our insect flour?
At Jimini’s, we produce it from two different insects: small mealworms called Buffalo worms and the more well-known *Tenebrio molitor* mealworms. Like its molitor cousin, the Buffalo worm has excellent nutritional qualities: it is rich in protein, contains all essential amino acids, and is a source of iron! This makes our flour an excellent base for nutritious sweet and savory preparations that are good for your body and the planet.
What are the environmental benefits of insect farming?
Because yes, insects are not only tasty but also beneficial for our beautiful planet. During farming, insects require less space and water.
They also need less food. Finally, insects produce 99% fewer greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) than beef farming, and on average, 80% of an insect is edible compared to 55% of a chicken and only 40% of a pig or a cow.
For all these reasons, at Jimini’s, we firmly believe that insects are one of the solutions for feeding the world’s population of tomorrow. By 2050, we will be 9 billion humans on Earth, all with the same nutritional needs, particularly for protein.
Insect flour could, therefore, become a viable alternative protein solution, easily integrated into everyday meals.
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