Crickets. Flying ants. Bee larvae. Bugs are swarming onto menus in D.C. and beyond.
Why it matters: Eating insects isn't new. Ancient Romans feasted on beetle larvae, the Aztecs on water fly eggs. But in addition to their ties to Indigenous foodways, chefs and industries are embracing bugs for their nutritional value and eco-friendliness.
The big picture: More than 2 billion people worldwide consume insects regularly, according to the United Nations, which a decade ago began pushing pests as a sustainable super-protein for humans, pets, and livestock that can benefit the environment and create jobs in developing countries.
Modern celebrity chefs helped turn them mainstream, like Rene Redzepi's viral ant egg tostada or José Andrés' grasshopper tacos — one of D.C.'s OG bug bites, still served at Oyamel.
State of play: Americans aren't rushing to trade Big Macs for beetles, but there's a growing bug economy in the U.S. You can buy "mixed bug" trail mix on Amazon, sample chili-lime crickets from indie snacks brands like Don Bugito, or browse a variety of bug-based products at Mom's Organic Market in the DMV.
The Rockville-based chain's "sustainable protein" aisle is packed with cricket-flour granola and mealworm bolognese sauce.
By the numbers: The North American insect protein market was valued at nearly $48 billion in 2023, according to Data Bridge Market Research. It's projected to reach over $274 billion by 2031.
Zoom in: At Amparo Fondita in Dupont Circle, diners can try mezcal-flambeed grasshopper tostadas and seasonal flying ants.
"Chaps" (chapulines, or crickets) are sprinkled on any dish by request, and can be purchased in the restaurant's marketplace, which boasts a variety of Mexican bugs.
For chef Christian Irabién, it's all part of bucking against the "Disneyfication of Mexican food" and embracing native roots.
What they're saying: "Bugs are a staple part of the diet in a lot of Indigenous communities throughout Mexico. We get them directly from communities we're trying to support," Irabién tells Axios.
It's a full-circle approach. Source mezcal from family farmers in Oaxaca alongside insects that sustain the land. "They're part of the ecosystem. They enrich the agave, the plant life, and soil."
Over at Chicatana in Columbia Heights — named for flying ants — chef/co-owner Marcelino Zamudio tucks them into tacos as a nod to his Mexican roots.
"I want to keep it traditional," he tells Axios.
Between the lines: At experimental bar Silver Lyan in Penn Quarter, bugs make a statement.
Case in point: Their "Air Bee and Bee" cocktail. Made with tequila, almond blossoms, and hay-smoked bee larva, the drink told a story of how immigrant and insect migration is critical to California almond farms.
Meanwhile, there's a "If you can't beat them, eat them" attitude towards summer's cicada scourge (they taste like shrimp). To that we say, bug appétit!
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