We must not think of "Naked Lunch" by the American writer William S. Burroughs which inspired the director David Cronenberg for his 1991 film.
There are no giant cockroaches nor other creatures, which can be associated with Burroughs' frightening dreams, in the factory that in Crespellano, in the Bolognese area, houses the Musca Domestica, the Acheta domesticus, the Tenebrio molitor. Unfamiliar names that identify the insects "raised" by Giovanna Cadoni, 40 years old, originally from Ittiri, together with her husband Luigi Ruggeri, also with Sardinian roots, souls of "Microvita", a leading company in Italy which, in a land where the breeding of cattle and pigs is widespread, it follows alternative routes.
In the yellow shed, inside tubs made of wood and polystyrene, there are crickets of various species (black, evening, Thai), grasshoppers, cockroaches. A magical and complex world that Giovanna knows well. «Insects», he explains, «can be used to feed birds, small reptiles, insectivores in general and are useful for the biological fight against plant and fly parasites». She moved to Rome at the age of 18 to study Sociology at La Sapienza University. And she lived in the capital for a few years, between frequent returns to her island and train journeys to Bologna to join her fiancé who would later become her husband, Luigi, who introduced her to the universe of insects. He was born in Pula. He left Sardinia at 17 months when his parents chose to emigrate to France. Bologna is the next stop. He works at the University with the entomologist Giorgio Celli. In 1981 he resigned and created "Microvita". Today he is considered one of the most authoritative insect experts in Italy. Out of love and curiosity, she shared this passion by acquiring knowledge and skills that now prove to be very precious.
He understood, for example, that locusts, which in Sardinia and other parts of the world with their invasions cause very serious damage, can be eaten. « Cooked on the grill, like snails, I cook them this way». Among his specialties that he offers to friends at dinner, accompanied by a good Pignoletto, curry rice with crickets and spaghetti with moth pesto and kisses with honey moths for dessert. Meanwhile, the European Union has given the green light to products that contain not only cricket flour (Acheta domesticus), but also the larvae of the lesser mealworm (Alphitobius diaperinus), sold frozen, in paste or dried. «Insects», explains Giovanna Cadoni, «are used for human nutrition in the form of flour. They can be liked as is the case with all other foods, it depends on the tastes. On those bred by us we have found positive opinions. They are high in protein, and small amounts are enough to satisfy hunger. Giving space to the imagination, they can be integrated into any recipe. There are very tasty products on the market: snacks, biscuits, pasta. It should be clarified that the percentage of insect flour is 15-20% compared to the finished product».
There are still resistances. And perhaps it is too early to see insects on menus, even if restaurateurs are beginning to show interest. The FAO, without neglecting the potential risks from the point of view of food safety, highlights the value of the benefits that man could obtain. Again, reference is made to the environmental impact, to the nutritional value, but also to the role that insects could play in the fight against hunger . There is much work to be done in Crespellano's laboratory, a far cry from Burroughs' literary nightmares.