Here’s a menu item you probably hadn’t thought about. Cicadas.
Three cicada species (Brood X) burrowed underground for 17 years. They are appearing in the coming months.
When the billions emerge, there will be plenty to turn into snack food, writes, Kari Sonde for The Washington Post.
While insect-eating is not that popular in the United States, local advocates have been promoting this unusual food item as a sustainable food source for the past decade.
Cicadas are edible and many cultures consider them a delicacy. They have also been a food source for several Native American tribes.
And now, many chefs and insect-curious folks are ready to explore the culinary possibilities.
The recipes range from simple frying and roasting to turning them into powder to add to other meals.
Jenna Jadin, an evolutionary biologist, and ecologist wrote a PDF cookbook of cicada recipes called “Cicada-Licious” for their previous emergence in 2004. She offers great advice on how to utilize the insect to create anything from appetizers to desserts.
And there are no worries about endangering the species.
“There are so, so many of them that there will still be plenty to survive,” said Martha Weiss, professor of biology at Georgetown University.
Read more about cicadas recipes in The Washington Post.
