(Photos: Daniel Maurer)
Insects, here! Get your fresh roasted insects, here!
No, it’s not a Beetlejuice-themed Halloween stunt, it’s a marketing campaign for The Economist. The magazine, which has given out free coffee and vegan burgers in the past, has teamed up with Belgian waffle wizards Wafels & Dinges to launch a food truck offering free mini liege waffles topped with roasted crickets and mealworms.
An attendant at the truck, parked at Broadway and East 12th Street today, said it was intended to raise awareness for global warming– in addition to driving magazine subscriptions, of course. Statistics on the side of the vehicle indicated there are over 1,500 varieties of edible insects and the bugs contain around 65% protein.
You won’t get much protein from the waffles, though– ours came with just a light sprinkling of minuscule critters, which had been roasted to such a crisp they barely had any distinct flavor. If you aren’t a veteran of Southeast Asian night markets and the idea of this really bugs you, know that you’ll mostly just be tasting waffle and your choice of Nutella, fudge, whipped cream, or speckuloos.
Not that we’re complaining. The truck will remain at 12th Street and Broadway, outside of Strand, until about 6pm today, and will rove the streets of NYC through mid-November. Follow @TheEconomist for locations.