Plated + Served: Cicada Stir Fry!

May10

You’ve got a VERY limited time to try this recipe… so pay attention.

Over the next few weeks as soil temperatures steadily rise, cicadas will begin emerging from their underground world… the first time since 1996.

Then, six weeks after their mating ritual, they’ll be gone, vanished… dead. Their offspring won’t return until 2030.

Mama lived in Africa and spent a little bit of time with the Bushmen in Namibia, so eating cicadas (or grub worms, or giraffe) is decidedly an acquired taste.

Look at these little guys as “land shellfish,” just like shrimp (they are in the same animal group). But, before you try this taste sensation, keep in mind a few things:

• If you’re allergic to shellfish or nuts, give cicadas a pass. As if you weren’t going to anyway.
• Don’t pickup dead cicadas off the ground. Harvest them live, in the early morning and place them in a Ziploc® Bag. Put them in the freezer until they settle down. Permanently.
• They won’t bite! Just give them a little tug to get them off a tree or bush.
• Marinate them in a little teriyaki. Male cicadas will shrivel up, and you can throw those out. Females are bigger and fatter (full of eggs, you know) and will get more tender.

Here’s a video from my pals at Tennessee Home and Farm on how to prepare cicadas. But remember, you have only a limited time to catch the main ingredient!

Hi…
I’m Christina Chavez

I was a TV journalist for many years, but with a house full of kids I decided to come off the road, go to culinary school and follow my passion for cooking. Mama’s High Strung is all about food… everything from creative recipe ideas to some really cool kitchen gadgets and cooking tips. I live in Chicago, but I love to travel and write about my food discoveries! You can reach me by email: mamashighstrung@gmail.com