Cricket burgers are becoming popular in Thailand. (Representational Image)
A pop-up restaurant in Thailand is making waves on the internet for serving fusion bug burgers. Their specialty? These burgers contain cricket, considered to be a rich source of protein, but there is no crunch or crackle. Bounce Burger is also offering cricket sausages, cricket balls and even power bars and cookies. The restaurant has posted photos of its latest offering on its Instagram page, calling the meal "100 per cent natural".
According to news agency AFP, the edible insect market is catching headlines as a meat alternative, and is expected to grow into a billion-dollar global industry in the coming years. The report also said that many people are adopting creepy-crawlies into their diets as a result of climate damage.
Bounce Burger has posted about the burger on its Instagram handle in local language. When translated using Google, the post talks about "gradually depleting plants, water, land and other resources" on the planet.
It also talks about the greenhouse gases that are making it difficult for the people here. "Therefore, eating an alternative protein source like insects is the answer," the restaurant says in its Instagram post.
"Crickets don't have to be on street vendor's stalls that are served only with soy sauce. They can be burgers, bakery, soft cookies or even paprika seasoning used to flavour french fries - these are all possible," Poopipat Thiapairat, co-owner of Bounce Burger, is quoted as saying by AFP.
He added that crickets often get stuck in people's throat who eat it. "If we open a restaurant and serve cricket-based food that doesn't look like crickets then the consumers might be more open to trying," he said.
Crickets are a source of protein, as well as containing a host of beneficial vitamins, and are among the most commonly eaten insects by humans globally.