Insects on menus offer more than a gimmick

Shane Warne's infamous reality television moment, gagging on grotesque concoctions including fly pupae, belies the rise of ants, grubs and unusual tubers in Australian fine dining. 

It is a point of difference that chef Paul Iskov has used to define his West Australian pop-up restaurant Fervor, after honing his trade in some of the world's better known kitchens.

"We use things like witchetty grubs, we also use the green tree ants when we're up in the Kimberley," Mr Iskov told Vanessa Mills on ABC Kimberley Local Radio.

While many Australians may sympathise with Shane Warne's gag reflex springing in at the prospect of eating insects, Mr Iskov said he was not the only chef cooking with bugs.

"It's starting to pop up a little bit in different restaurants, and people think it's a little gimmick," he said.

"Not only are they delicious and really do add flavour to dishes, but their sustainable and can provide a lot of protein as well."

Mr Iskov believes that Australian wild ingredients have huge potential to inspire cooking creativity with an environmental and cultural flavour.

"Even with world-renowned chefs like Rene Redzepi from Noma in Denmark Copenhagen, who has opened up a pop-up for 10 weeks in Sydney focussing on native ingredients," Mr Iskov said.

Australian native plants are also proving popular with fine diners prepared to pay handsomely for novel flavours and textures.

"In the south west we're using things like kulyu and youlk, which are native tubers," Mr Iskov said.

The growing interest in bush flavours allows Mr Iskov to work with local people on collecting seasonal ingredients.

"We try and work with Aboriginal people who are going out and wild harvesting these ingredients in their community," he said.

The popularity of native foods has seen a rise in their availability according to Mr Iskov.

"It's getting to a point now where there's more demand for these native ingredients, so it's becoming a little bit easier to source them."

Source: ABC News, 3^rd February 2016