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Updated December 27th, 2020 at 06:34 IST

Mexico trio hope grasshopper-based food takes off

In Mexico City a trio of young entrepreneurs is hoping that their grasshopper-based culinary innovations are taking off, with the aim to provide environmentally friendly and healthy food.

Mexico trio hope grasshopper-based food takes off
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In Mexico City a trio of young entrepreneurs is hoping that their grasshopper-based culinary innovations are taking off, with the aim to provide environmentally friendly and healthy food. Initially the result of a university competition, their company Chapi produces burgers and other foodstuff made of "Chapulin", the Nahuatl word for a grasshopper that has long been a part of Mexican cuisine, traditionally used in tacos, tlayudas, salads or as a snack.

These insects are known for their high nutritional value, easy cultivation, easy processing and increasing use in various recipes and food products. The founders of Chapi say that their hamburger has more protein than an average steak. They also have a low carbon footprint, with 100 grams of grasshopper meat generating 14 times less carbon footprint than 100 grams of beef, according to Chapi.

The start-up with a staff of four originally began selling in small markets, but the pandemic meant they quickly had to turn to online sales and deliveries.

"That blow of only having two weeks to move fast, to find out how we were going to work and how to make deliveries, payments, was a little confusing" said co-founder Alfredo Diaz Cano, adding that they "put our minds to it" and made it work.

Since then, the company has been selling its products in Mexico City through Instagram and several home delivery platforms. They have also started to develop a new technology for grasshopper breeding in the state of Oaxaca and say they plan to distribute their food throughout the country by the end of 2021.

 

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Published December 27th, 2020 at 06:34 IST

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