Weird Food Trend: Dishes Made From This Insect Are A New Rage In US

Countries like America and India, every year, face the issue of saving their fields and crops from locust attacks. These insects emerge and eat away or damage crops, which manifests itself as a great financial drawback. This year, the chefs are preparing dishes with the locust called cicadas. According to the experts, cicadas contain less fat and are high in protein. They have a nutty texture to them, which makes them a unique fried food item too. Similar to some of the Asian countries where cicadas are a famous dish, in the United States, food lovers prefer them with salads and bacon. Cicadas are eaten directly, too. According to a report by Smithsonian Magazine, there was a cicada party organised in South Carolina. They served the cicadas wrapped in bacon. Other important people have also supported this new trend. The former director of the Ohio State University Medical Center warned that the cicadas should be caught from faraway woods, as harvesting them from the garden can be risky due to chemicals used there. Cicadas are the new tasty and crunchy dish in the United States. The people of South Carolina are having cicada dinner parties.

A restaurant in New Orlean said that ‘Bug Appetite’ is famous for their cicada salad and roasted cicadas. El Rey, a restaurant in Philadelphia, serves cicadas with potato soup too. The high amount of protein found in these insects makes them a preference. A minimal amount of calories, carbohydrates, and a high amount of antioxidants are present in cicadas.

Cicadas attack Americans every year. According to a report by The New York Times, almost a trillion cicadas in the US will rise from slumber this year. This is the first time since the year 1803 that two different breeds of the species will appear together. The Brood XIX, or the Great Southern Brood, and the Brood XIII, or the Northern Illinois Brood, will emerge together. The cicadas will be seen in the midwest and southeast regions of the states. The famous 17-year cycle of the Northern Illinois Brood aligned with the 13-year cycle of the Great Southern Brood last time during the presidency of Thomas Jefferson. The same will be seen again after 221 years. A total of 16 states will see this natural phenomenon.