Once upon a time there was the classic panettone, then the chocolate one, then the one without candied fruit, the vegan one, the gluten-free one. And now? Now there is also the one with cricket flour. Before anyone closes the page in horror, let’s try to understand what it is and who proposes it.
This version was launched by Small Giants, a company specializing in alternative proteins, but to be honest it is not the very first panettone with insects in history. Some artisanal pastry shops had already tried it – like the pastry chef Davide Muro with his PanCriCri, panettone with cricket flour and caramelized insects – but this time we are talking about a product designed for wider distribution, available online and at the fair.
If the idea of using insect flour to make Christmas panettone seems extravagant to you, know that in reality it is an artisanal proposal and, according to the producers, with a flavor similar to that of a barley panettone, “with toasted notes and an enveloping softness”.
But will it really be like this? And above all: are Italians really ready to put a dessert with cricket flour on the table at Christmas?
There is no doubt that in our country offering a panettone with insects is not exactly the simplest thing in the world. Yet there are those who try, with the firm belief that the future of nutrition also depends on alternative proteins and, consequently, a little more courage on the plate.
But let’s now see what ingredients it is made with and, for the more curious and intrepid, where to find it.
Ingredients and nutritional values
The main ingredients of the panettone with cricket flour are: “00” wheat flour, sweetened egg yolk, butter, water, 16% chocolate chips, mother yeast, 5% cricket flour (warning: traces of shellfish), sugar, salt, natural vanilla flavouring.
These are the nutritional values per 100 g: energy 1662 kJ / 398 kcal, fat 21.2 g of which saturated 12 g, carbohydrates 39.8 g of which sugars 19.8 g, proteins 10.9 g, salt 0.6 g.
Important warning: Please note that people allergic to shellfish and house dust mites may be allergic to cricket flour.
Where to find panettone with cricket flour and chocolate chips
The Small Giants Panettone will be available online on the website www.eatsmallgiants.com from the end of November and on display at the Artigiano in Fiera di Milano (6–14 December). It is also available in the “Corporate Gift” version.
For those who want to go even further, Small Giants offers a gourmet version with dark hazelnut cream and crunchy salt larvae. A 500 gram panettone with cream and larvae costs 29.99 euros.
