Why cockroach milk is the ultimate ‘superfood’
Scientists say the fluid is ‘among the most nutritious substances on the planet’

Forget oat, soy or almond milk… one day, you may be able to enjoy a cockroach milk latte.
Social media lit up on Tuesday night when Marie Claire reshared an article first published in August 2016 claiming that cockroach milk was the next big superfood trend.
But how to you go about milking a cockroach? Put the image of a three-legged stool out of your mind, because the “milk” is actually a protein-dense fluid produced by the female Pacific beetle cockroach.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The roach, native to Hawaii, is among the handful of insects which give birth to live young rather than laying eggs, NPR explains.
As the embryos grow inside her, “she feeds them a pale, yellow liquid milk’ from her brood sack”.
Admittedly, it’s not the most mouth-watering prospect. Perhaps The Washington Post’s description can win you over: “Slice open an embryonic roach under a microscope, and the crystals spill out in a shower of nutrient-dense glitter.”
So far, so unappetising. But scientists say the hyper-nutritious fluid is the ultimate superfood.
In fact, “experiments suggest that cockroach milk is among the most nutritious and highly caloric substances on the planet”, the Post reports.
Cockroach milk contains four times as much protein as cow's milk, says Marie Claire, as well as “essential amino acids that promote cell growth, lipids that keep our bodies healthy, and sugars that fuel energy”.
Unsurprisingly, it was a hard sell on Twitter:
The difficulty of harvesting cockroach milk means we shouldn’t expect to see it on the shelves. However, researchers are working on ways to replicate the fluid in a lab, which could go some way to overcoming consumers’ in-built aversion.
But one crucial question remains unanswered: what does cockroach milk taste like? The answer is perhaps the least horrifying aspect of the whole concept. According to a biochemist at the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine in Bangalore, India, who took the plunge, the liquid tastes like “nothing”.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
How will the next pope change the Catholic Church?
Talking Points Conclaves can be unpredictable
By Joel Mathis, The Week US
-
Conspiracy theorists circle again following RFK file release
The Explainer Both RFK and his brother, President John F. Kennedy, have been the subjects of conspiracies
By Justin Klawans, The Week US
-
7 equestrian activities for when you feel like horsin' around
The Week Recommends These graceful animals make any experience better
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designation
The Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
By Justin Klawans, The Week US
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across Syria
THE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weapons
The Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
By Abby Wilson
-
The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarray
In the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month
By Justin Klawans, The Week US
-
Ukrainian election: who could replace Zelenskyy?
The Explainer Donald Trump's 'dictator' jibe raises pressure on Ukraine to the polls while the country is under martial law
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK
-
Why Serbian protesters set off smoke bombs in parliament
THE EXPLAINER Ongoing anti-corruption protests erupted into full view this week as Serbian protesters threw the country's legislature into chaos
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Who is the Hat Man? 'Shadow people' and sleep paralysis
In Depth 'Sleep demons' have plagued our dreams throughout the centuries, but the explanation could be medical
By The Week Staff
-
Why Assad fell so fast
The Explainer The newly liberated Syria is in an incredibly precarious position, but it's too soon to succumb to defeatist gloom
By The Week UK