Oct 6, 2025 01:31 PM
Anthropologists make 'ant yogurt' from centuries-old recipe, serve it as an 'ant-wich' at Michelin-star restaurant
https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/...restaurant
EXCERPT: . . . "We dropped four whole ants into a jar of warm milk by the instruction of Sevgi's uncle and community members," study co-author Veronica Sinotte, a microbiologist at the University of Copenhagen, said in a statement. After keeping the jar of milk warm in the ant mound overnight, they tried the yogurt that had formed — and described it as "slightly tangy" and "herbaceous."
After making the ant yogurt, the team studied it to understand the role of the ant "holobiont," which includes both the ant and the microbial communities in and on the creature.
Chemical analysis of the yogurt revealed that the dominant bacterium responsible for fermentation was Fructilactobacillus sanfranciscensis, a species that is much better known as a key ingredient in sourdough bread. Additionally, they discovered abundant formic acid in the yogurt. Wood ants produce large amounts of formic acid in their venom gland, and they can spray it as a defense mechanism. The formic acid gave the yogurt a unique taste and texture.
"This study highlights ants as a reservoir of bacteria with potential for food fermentation, and the importance of both ant biodiversity and traditional practices in maintaining this potential," the researchers wrote in the study... (MORE - missing details)
https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/...restaurant
EXCERPT: . . . "We dropped four whole ants into a jar of warm milk by the instruction of Sevgi's uncle and community members," study co-author Veronica Sinotte, a microbiologist at the University of Copenhagen, said in a statement. After keeping the jar of milk warm in the ant mound overnight, they tried the yogurt that had formed — and described it as "slightly tangy" and "herbaceous."
After making the ant yogurt, the team studied it to understand the role of the ant "holobiont," which includes both the ant and the microbial communities in and on the creature.
Chemical analysis of the yogurt revealed that the dominant bacterium responsible for fermentation was Fructilactobacillus sanfranciscensis, a species that is much better known as a key ingredient in sourdough bread. Additionally, they discovered abundant formic acid in the yogurt. Wood ants produce large amounts of formic acid in their venom gland, and they can spray it as a defense mechanism. The formic acid gave the yogurt a unique taste and texture.
"This study highlights ants as a reservoir of bacteria with potential for food fermentation, and the importance of both ant biodiversity and traditional practices in maintaining this potential," the researchers wrote in the study... (MORE - missing details)