Cricket-flavored ice cream is available at a German ice cream shop

A skin-crawling item—cricket-flavored scoops with dried brown bugs on top—has been added to the menu of a German ice cream shop. The unique sweet is sold in Thomas Micolino's shop in Rottenburg am Neckar, southern Germany, according to DPA, a German news agency. The "Eiscafe Roemhild" in the town of Spremberg, located in the eastern state of Brandenburg, has been experimenting with cricket powder as an ingredient in their ice cream. According to the owner, Mario Roemhild, the idea came from his interest in exploring new and unusual flavors.

Cricket powder, made from ground-up crickets, has been gaining popularity in recent years due to its high protein content and sustainability. It is also considered a good alternative to traditional protein sources such as beef and chicken, which have a much higher environmental impact.

The traditional flavors that Germans prefer for their strawberry, chocolate, banana, and vanilla ice cream are much outside of what Micolino frequently creates. He has previously sold scoops of ice cream flavored with liver sausage, Gorgonzola cheese, and gold plating for 4 euros ($4.25). DPA quoted Micolino as saying, "I am a really curious person and want to try everything.

"I've eaten a lot of stuff, including a lot of weird things, but I still wanted to try, even in ice cream form." According to a rule set forth by the European Union that permits the use of insects in food, he is now able to make the cricket flavor. The rule allows for the use of dried, powdered, or frozen crickets. According to DPA, the EU has already approved the use of flour beetle larvae and migrating locusts as food additives. Micolino uses dried entire crickets as a garnish on his ice cream, which is created with cricket flour, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and honey. It has a "surprisingly wonderful taste," or at least that is what he claimed on Instagram.

The inventive vendor said that although some people are repulsed and even angry that he is selling insect ice cream, interested customers have generally enjoyed the novel flavor. Everyone who tries it is enthusiastic, according to Micolino. Every day, I have people who come here to purchase a scoop. Konstantin Dick, one of his clients, gave the cricket-infused flavor a favorable assessment and told dpa: "Yeah, it's nice and edible." Johann Peter Schwarz, a different client, similarly complimented the ice cream on its creamy texture but noted, "You can still sense the cricket in the ice cream."