'Urine-like' aftertaste: Ant crisps with nutty, sweet, caramel flavours are new viral food in UK

Discovering ants in your sandwich is apparently a good enough reason for you to call off your picnic.

But as of now, scientists claim that a handful of insects can be the secret ingredient for your lunch needs, according to Daily Mail.

While Mexico's native chicatana ants have a nutty roasted smell, common black ants have an acidic or vinegary taste, as per researchers from San Diego State University.

The experts say you should choose your ants carefully, if you're planning on doing your own Bushtucker trial.

Ants can also have a “urine-like” aftertaste and trigger shellfish allergies, while some taste delicious.

Insects are widely used as a valuable source of protein and even seen as a delicacy around the world, but they are rarely eaten in the UK.

Changqi Liu, co-author of the study, said: “They can have very diverse and interesting flavor profiles.”

Ants are either roasted whole as a crunchy snack or ground up and used to flavour other foods in Mexico.

According to Professor Liu, this is how he first became interested in the study of ants as a possible food source.

He said: “I once led a summer field study in Oaxaca, Mexico, you can easily find different edible insects in the market there, just like other food ingredients.”