Can You Eat Cicadas? | TIME

Get able to see cicadas in every single place.

Greater than a trillion of the critters are anticipated to floor in components of america this yr in a uncommon co-emergence occasion the likes of which hasn’t been seen in over two centuries.

Identified for his or her deafening mating calls, which will be as loud as lawnmowers, cicadas emerge after greater than a decade underground, providing a tasty meal to birds—and even the occasional human.

That’s proper, cicadas, like many bugs, have been hailed as an eco-friendly and high-protein various to poultry and cattle. They’re low in ldl cholesterol, crunchy, and carry what has been described as a nutty taste and shrimp-like high quality. Eating places have featured the bugs in experimental menus, whereas a number of cookbooks have even been printed devoted to recipes involving cicadas.

So if you happen to’re considering seeing cicadas in your plate this yr, right here’s what to learn about easy methods to get began.

The first step: catch them

Cicadas can usually be present in woody locations, similar to close to timber and shrubs—although for hygiene causes, specialists warn towards gathering cicadas for meals in areas which will have pesticide or litter. You possibly can even begin wanting in your personal yard.

Nonetheless, it’s best to attempt to be selective. Freshly emerged cicadas from the bottom might not make for the tastiest snack. It’s greatest to attend for them to molt, shedding their former shells to be clear and comfortable, chef Joseph Yoon advised Well-liked Science in 2022.  However as soon as they’ve molted, you would possibly need to hurry up with the gathering—the older that cicadas get, the much less muscle mass they’re prone to have, making them much less tender and juicy. Yoon additionally warned towards consuming useless cicadas, which might have already begun decomposing. 

And don’t fear about getting damage: whereas cicadas’ legs and claws could also be prickly to the contact, they don’t chunk or sting. You possibly can gently choose them up, pinning their wings to their physique along with your thumb and forefingers, then accumulate them in a bag or container.

Step two: clear them

Janna Jadin, creator of Cicada-Licious: Cooking and Having fun with Periodical Cicadas, recommends freezing cicadas after catching them, as a handy method to kill and retailer the bugs. 

After eradicating them from the freezer, Jadin additionally recommends, you’ll be able to boil the cicadas to do away with any microbes earlier than cooking. (Washing your fingers commonly would even be advisable. “It is very important deal with them as if you happen to would a chunk of uncooked hen or shelled eggs,” Toby Amidor, a diet advisor, advised Meals Community in 2021.)

Alternatively, you’ll be able to boil cicadas instantly after catching them.

Step three: prepare dinner them

Cicadas have been utilized in cuisines the world over, eaten in historic Greece and Rome and lengthy loved as a conventional delicacy in Thailand and Congo.

There are all types of inventive methods to include cicadas right into a meal. They work on their very own—some say greatest air-fried—or as additions to dishes like curry and pasta. Some folks grind the bugs up and blend the powder into bread or use it to garnish the rim of a drink glass, like salt on a margarita. Social media has change into a treasure trove of recipes, and you may even take inspiration out of your zodiac signal.

However earlier than sinking your enamel into cicadas, specialists warn that individuals with shellfish allergy symptoms—or who ought to usually keep away from shellfish, similar to pregnant ladies or younger youngsters, or these in danger for gout—ought to keep away from consuming cicadas, which are literally a by-product of shellfish.