Yes, You Can Eat Cicadas - But Should You Eat Cicadas?

Hopefully, the current Bidenflation hasn't hit any American families to the point where they are quite literally eating bugs, but at least this year, with the expected explosion of cicadas, there will be plenty of them about. And, it seems, people can eat them. There are even how-to guides out there.

To which I can only say, thanks but no thanks.

That’s right, cicadas, like many insects, have been hailed as an eco-friendly and high-protein alternative to poultry and cattle. They’re low in cholesterol, crunchy, and carry what has been described as a nutty flavor and shrimp-like quality. Restaurants have featured the bugs in experimental menus, while several cookbooks have even been published dedicated to recipes involving cicadas.
So if you’re interested in seeing cicadas on your plate this year, here’s what to know about how to get started.

Here are some preparation tips:

Cicadas have been utilized in cuisines across the world, eaten in ancient Greece and Rome and long enjoyed as a traditional delicacy in Thailand and Congo.
There are all sorts of creative ways to incorporate cicadas into a meal. They work on their own—some say best air-fried—or as additions to dishes like curry and pasta. Some people grind the bugs up and mix the powder into bread or use it to garnish the rim of a drink glass, like salt on a margarita. Social media has become a treasure trove of recipes, and you can even take inspiration from your zodiac sign.

Again, thanks, but no thanks. Sure, there's an annual explosion of these things, and sure, this year, it's going to be a real humdinger. But while most animals will happily take advantage of any unusual, high-protein, point-source food like this, I'd like to think we humans have progressed beyond this stage by now.

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Still, people don't have to eat cicadas to take advantage of them. It should come as no surprise that I have some thoughts.

First: Why not use them as fertilizer? There is that famous (and apocryphal) story of the first Europeans to come to the New World being taught by the locals how to plant maize (corn) and to put a fish at the base of each plant as fertilizer. One could do the same thing with cicadas, and no need for processing, just drop them in.

Second: Why not feed them to livestock? Pigs, in particular, can eat almost anything; their digestive systems are basically garbage disposals. Best of all, they take what we feed them and convert it into bacon - delicious, delicious bacon.

Third: Leave them alone. If you're interested in the natural world, the cicada swarms will likely attract a lot of birds and mammals that you might not see around otherwise; as stated above, most animals will happily take advantage of a food source like this, and the critter-watching should be great.

People are, of course, free to eat cicadas as they please. It's a free country — supposedly. And if one wants to eat bugs, well, at least there are suggestions for preparations out there, along with the usual precautions that will allow you to do so safely.

If anyone comes around telling me I have to eat bugs, that's a different story.