Move over cow, almond, and soy, there’s a new milk in town.
Cockroach milk!
The Pacific beetle cockroach doesn’t lay eggs like other roaches — it gives birth to live young much like humans. And like humans, the mother produces milk to feed its new offspring. This milk is rich in fats, protein and sugar, and is considered one of the most nutritious foods in the world. In fact, if you were to compare the same amount of cockroach milk with buffalo milk, you would find that it has three times more energy!
How do you get cockroach milk?
When the babies consume the milk, instead of totally digesting the liquid, the liquid turns into hard crystals inside their digestive tract instead. The crystals remain there, where it continues to serve as a source of nourishment over a longer period of time. This is how the roaches grow quickly. So, it would be a matter of harvesting the crystals from the guts of the baby cockroaches.
While further research is needed to ensure their safety, some scientists believe that cockroach milk crystals could be used for human consumption, particularly in the form of protein drinks. If this happens, cockroach milk would the most environmentally friendly source of protein in the world.
Care to try some?