Did You Know that Locusts are Grasshoppers?

longknife

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Sep 21, 2012
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Wow! I had no idea. A very interesting article from one of my favorite sources, Popular Science @ An Infection Turns Swarming Locusts Into Solitary Grasshoppers, Study Finds | Popular Science
 
The species that used to swarm across the US Great Plains, the Rocky Mountain Locust (a bad name, since it lived in the prairies), went from "vast hordes that darken the sky" to "extinct" over a couple decades. The guess as to why is that plowing the fields destroyed the eggs in the periods between swarms, leaving not enough to swarm, and that swarming was necessary for reproduction.
 
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I don't care, I hate them both. I hate just about all insects except lady bugs, butterflies, you know cute insects.
 
No recipes?

You ask, I provide.

Garlic Butter Fried Grasshoppers
1/4 cup butter
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup cleaned insects*

Melt butter in fry pan. Reduce heat. Sauté garlic in butter for 5 minutes. Add grasshoppers. Continue sautéing for 10 - 15
minutes, stirring occasionally.
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Oaxaca Enchiladas
About 1000 grasshoppers (the younger the better)
1/2 cup chili sauce
pinch of salt
garlic
onion
1 lemon
1 cup guacamole
6 tortillas

Directions: Soak the grasshoppers in clean water for 24 hours. Boil them, then let dry. Fry in a pan with garlic, onion, salt
and lemon. Roll up in tortillas with chili sauce and guacamole. Serves six if you can fund six.
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Some 30 odd years ago I was traveling in Mexico and whilst in a small town I was checking out their town market. I smelled this wonderful concoction of chili and garlic coming from a street vendor selling food from a cart. The line of customers was a dozen deep so I meandered about for a bit to return later. Still a dozen people in line, so I got in line. 50 pesos for a small, and 75 pesos for a large. This guy is throwing something into a pot of hot oil for a few seconds, then scooping it out with a wire spoon letting the oil drain off and throwing it into a paper cup and sprinkling something on it. It must be a chili oil because it smells heavenly. Finally, I am the customer, and I order a small. What the heck, that looked like bugs he just tossed into the oil. Yep, deep fried grasshoppers in chili oil and then sprinkled with fresh minced garlic. It tasted as good as it smelled.
 
No recipes?

You ask, I provide.

Garlic Butter Fried Grasshoppers
1/4 cup butter
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup cleaned insects*

Melt butter in fry pan. Reduce heat. Sauté garlic in butter for 5 minutes. Add grasshoppers. Continue sautéing for 10 - 15
minutes, stirring occasionally.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oaxaca Enchiladas
About 1000 grasshoppers (the younger the better)
1/2 cup chili sauce
pinch of salt
garlic
onion
1 lemon
1 cup guacamole
6 tortillas

Directions: Soak the grasshoppers in clean water for 24 hours. Boil them, then let dry. Fry in a pan with garlic, onion, salt
and lemon. Roll up in tortillas with chili sauce and guacamole. Serves six if you can fund six.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Some 30 odd years ago I was traveling in Mexico and whilst in a small town I was checking out their town market. I smelled this wonderful concoction of chili and garlic coming from a street vendor selling food from a cart. The line of customers was a dozen deep so I meandered about for a bit to return later. Still a dozen people in line, so I got in line. 50 pesos for a small, and 75 pesos for a large. This guy is throwing something into a pot of hot oil for a few seconds, then scooping it out with a wire spoon letting the oil drain off and throwing it into a paper cup and sprinkling something on it. It must be a chili oil because it smells heavenly. Finally, I am the customer, and I order a small. What the heck, that looked like bugs he just tossed into the oil. Yep, deep fried grasshoppers in chili oil and then sprinkled with fresh minced garlic. It tasted as good as it smelled.

You ate truly "authentic" Mexican food!

Remember, before the arrival of the Spaniards, there were no cattle, horses, mules, burros, pigs, goats, sheep, chickens, and many other foods so they ate protein where it was available - insects, reptiles, birds, fish, and an occasional deer or antelope.
 
Maybe you've heard of the Gilroy Garlic Festival.. When I lived in Silicon Valley, we'd reguarly go down there to find these delicacies.. Garlic fried grasshoppers are great.. Especially if you chase them with a scoop of Garlic Ice Cream and a beer...
 
The species that used to swarm across the US Great Plains, the Rocky Mountain Locust (a bad name, since it lived in the prairies), went from "vast hordes that darken the sky" to "extinct" over a couple decades. The guess as to why is that plowing the fields destroyed the eggs in the periods between swarms, leaving not enough to swarm, and that swarming was necessary for reproduction.

They still swarm sometimes in the Middle East.. I have seen them blot out the sun with a dark cloud coming.

The Arabs love them .. they are a source of protein and fodder for livestock..

I have never eaten one, but the cabbies use to roast them in a wide wok like pan.. and my brothers tried them.
 

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