Ikea wants you to eat their “delicious” bug burger made out of worms

You call yourself a die-hard foodie, but would you smack your lips at the thought of a bug burger? How about algae buns? After two years of revealing a range of meatballs using alternative ingredients, IKEA’s research and innovation lab, Space10, is back by developing a menu of five dishes that is made with sustainable, eco-friendly and healthy ingredients. While these dishes are healthy and eye-catching, according to IKEA, they are also delicious.

Apart from the conventional hot dogs and burgers, the menu also includes ice creams made with herbs and salads, plus two new meatballs made with unexpected ingredients. The Dogless HotdogThe main hotdog element is made with dried and glazed baby carrots, beet and berry ketchup, mustard and turmeric cream, cucumber salad, roasted onions and an herb salad mix. However, what makes this hotdog special is its bun.

The green colored bun is not made with bread, but with spirulina- the micro algae which, IKEA claims, contain 50 percent more iron than spinach and more beta carotene than carrots. The Bug BurgerYup, this burger is made from insects. IKEA has taken one of their “Tomorrow’s meatballs”- the crispy bug ball and come out with a patty that contains 50gm parsnip, 100gm beetroot, 50gm potatoes and 50gm mealworm. No chicken, pork or beef but just the larval form of a darkling beetle. This burger contains a bread bun which is topped with beetroot and blackcurrant ketchup, chive spread and hydroponic salad mix. Ummmm… sounds delicious?

The Neatball To reduce meat consumption, they have come up with two meatballs- one made with worms and the other for vegetarians made with carrots, beets and parsnips. Lokal SaladThis salad is made from microgreens- tiny sprout crops- which are grown in Space10’s hydroponic basement. The Lokal salad comes in three variations: red frill mustard, borage and lemon balm; red veined sorrel, broccoli and tarragon; and pink stem radish, thyme and pea sprouts. Salads are not boring anymore.

Microgreen Ice CreamThe final item is the coolest on the menu. There is a selection of ice creams which include fennel, basil, coriander and mint, all made from microgreens. If you are more of a popsicle person, then you can choose from woodruff, sorrel, Spanish chervil and coriander. While all these adventurous foods might still be in the test kitchen/ science lab, we certainly can’t wait to try them out.