Monday, June 13, 2011

Cicada Ice Cream

I heard an interesting story on the radio yesterday about the FDA stopping sales of ice cream made from an abundant but questionable source--cicadas. I am sure that anyone with good hearing (counts me out) in the proximity to a wave of 17 year locusts newly emerged from the ground and anxious to announce their presence to other 17 year locusts would have fantasies of ridding himself of these creatures, whose loud and insistent chirping could make anyone crazy.
I don't know how the ice cream was supposed to taste; however, I have tasted chocolate cake with earthworms in it in the old days when I used to eat chocolate and chocolate covered grasshoppers and ants. Chocolate is a big theme as is deep frying, which I suppose distracts people from the nature of the things they are eating. The cake was very moist and full of protein!
Thinking about what one is eating can subtract from one's enjoyment. I recall I used to love pickled tongue sandwiches when I was small. But one day, I realized what it was I was eating when I paid more attention than usual to the pebbly texture of the meat. I never ate a tongue sandwich again.

2 comments:

Marly Youmans said...

I was very interested while in Cambodia to hear how beetles were cleaned and used in dishes...

Cicada and ice cream would not have have been my first thought. Are they ground into flecks, or were they nuggety?

Robbi N. said...

It's fairly common to use grubs and other insects in food or as food. In Mexico of course they are famously used in tequila but also, cable tv shows have taught me, in other, less liquid meals.
I don't know about the texture of cicada ice cream. I will have to see if I can find some more detailed information online.
I am currently trying to turn interesting and unusual NPR stories into poems. I have two so far, at least, possibly more that had their genesis in radio stories.