CHESTERFIELD, Mo. — A "bug chef" will be cooking up cicadas publically at an upcoming Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House event.
The cooking demonstration will take place at the Butterfly House's Chesterfield location on May 24 at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m., the organization said in a press release.
Cicada tastings won't be offered during the event, but the chef will teach guests about how people can incorporate the insects into do dishes: cicada scampi and spicy deep-fried cicada, the news release said. Guests with adventurous taste buds will be given the opportunity to try other insect-based snacks and take cicada recipe cards to try at home.
“Our goal in cooking insects is not to convert everyone to an insect-centric diet, but to show people that there are other options available,” the Butterfly House's chef, Senior Entomologist Tad Yankoski, said in the news release. “If a few people have a more open mind about trying new foods or changing the way they look at what they eat, then that is a win.”
Cicadas are edible, particularly after they first emerge and have yet to molt. However, cicadas can be harmful to people with shellfish allergies and shouldn’t be eaten by people or pets if they are infected with the yellow Massospora fungus.
“Americans eat many close relatives to insects already without a second thought,” the Yankoski said. “Water bugs which are a fixture of special occasions in other countries and are closely related to lobsters, shrimp and crabs. In fact, if you are allergic to shellfish, you are likely also allergic to cicadas or crickets.”
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