NOVEMBER 2019 BCBUSINESS 45
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When returning Spanish ships first brought the potato
to Europe from South America in the 1600s, the reception was chilly,
to say the least. People regarded the vegetable as alien, dangerous and,
well, kind of gross, largely spurning it over the next few decades. Then
Antoine-Augustin Parmentier—the 18th-century version of an Instagram
influencer—made it his mission to popularize the potato, forever changing
how Europeans eat.
Now take an ingredient that is standard fare for two billion people
worldwide, was greeted in B.C. with disgust, and is finally seeing uptake
for its high nutritional profile, low carbon footprint and, for some, an
appealing, umami-esque flavour. Although it's unlikely to become as com-
mon as the french fry any time soon, a handful of B.C. entrepreneurs are
hoping that the benefits of insect protein will be enough for history to
repeat itself. Bugs, as our modern-day potato.
Now that edible insects have gone from outrageous
sideshow to a common–if curious–sight on some
store shelves, B.C. entrepreneurs hope to take
them to the next level of normal
b y M E L I S S A E D W A R D S
p o r t r a i t b y A D A M B L A S B E R G
