Entomophagy intrigues me so much. I will be honest, eating a cicada or any other bug is usually not something that I enjoy. I’ve had a long life of indoctrination about what we shouldn’t put in our mouths so even though I know it is safe and healthy (relatively speaking) I still have a hard time eating certain bugs.
When to Find Cicadas
Here in South Dakota cicadas can be heard in the canopy mid July.
How to Forage Cicadas
I’m still learning the best techniques but we pluck them off the tree as they climb to the canopy (to molt and fly away) or find them hanging out on the ground. Don’t be surprised by how incredibly loud they are when you hold them in your hand!
How to cook Cicada
While there are many recipes that can supplement cicada for other meats I prefer boiling them for 5 minutes (just to safely kill any parasites) and then frying them up with plant butter and basil.
If you want to learn more about other edible bugs to forage in the Midwest then check out: https://treefool.com/forage-edible-bugs/
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