June 11, 2021: Cicadas Are Here And People Are Eating Them
Happy Mouth
English - June 11, 2021 07:00 - 9 minutes - 8.8 MB - ★★★★★ - 4 ratingsFood Arts News News Commentary Homepage Download Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
If you’re on the East Coast of the United States, you’re undoubtedly hearing a lot of buzzing right now. That’s because Brood X cicadas are back and wreaking havoc. However, one person’s problem is another’s delicacy.
Join chef Nyesha Arrington and restaurateur Philip Camino on this fun Friday episode of the Happy Mouth podcast as they talk about people eating cicadas. While the flying bugs might not be on a lot of dinner plates in the United States, insects are a regular part of diets around the world. That has some in this country starting to look at cicadas as a snacking option.
Listen to Philip and Nyesha discuss cicadas:
Brood X cicadas are surfacing as we enter summer
Depending on the type of cicada, they emerge from the ground every 13 or 17 years
Cicadas emerge to mate for a few weeks, leaving behind offspring that burrow back into the ground to repeat the cycle
While cicadas are a nuisance to most, some people believe they’re a great snack
Roughly 2 billion people around the world consume insects in their regular diet
More than 1,900 bug species have been reported as food worldwide
While cicadas are edible, the U.S. FDA warns against eating them if you have a seafood allergy
According to one social media chef, cicadas have a buttery or nutty flavor
The cookbook “Cicada-licious” -- published in 2004 -- tells you how to prepare and cook them in almost every way
Links:
Prevention - Should you eat cicadas? Here’s why (and how) people cook the insects
WLWT5 - Think Brood X cicadas are bad now? We’re about to enter their peak
CBS News - The cicadas are coming -- and foodies are getting ready to feast
FAO - Edible insects
FDA - Cicada allergy warning
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