As the country prepares for the billions of red-eyed bugs known as periodical cicadas to emerge, it’s worth noting that they’re more than just bothersome, noisy pests; when properly prepared, they can also be delicious to eat.
Not far from renowned dining spots like Antoine’s and Brennan’s in the French Quarter, the Audubon Insectarium in New Orleans has long offered up an array of alternative, insect-based treats at its “Bug Appetit” cafe overlooking the Mississippi River. The menu includes “Cinnamon Bug Crunch,” chili-fried waxworms, and crispy, cajun-spiced insects.
This year, two cycles are overlapping, leading to an expected density of about 1 million cicadas per acre across vast areas
Periodical cicadas spend several years underground before they emerge en masse to dominate the landscape. Depending on their species, these emergences occur every 13 or 17 years. This year, two cycles are overlapping, leading to an expected density of about 1 million cicadas per acre across vast areas of the Midwest and South, spanning 16 states.
The trigger for their emergence is when soil temperature reaches 64 degrees Fahrenheit (17.8 degrees Celsius), a threshold that’s being reached earlier due to climate change, according to entomologists. Initially brown, the cicadas darken as they age.
Zack Lemann, the curator of animal collections at the Insectarium, has been experimenting with cicada recipes that might soon be added to the menu. This week, wearing a chef’s smock, he demonstrated a few dishes, including a green salad with apples, almonds, blueberry vinaigrette, and roasted cicadas. Fried cicada nymphs were dressed on top with a warm mixture of creole mustard and soy sauce.
“I do dragonflies in a similar manner,” Lemann said.
Cooked cicadas might taste similar to toasted seeds or nuts, depending on the variety and preparation method
Cooked cicadas might taste similar to toasted seeds or nuts, depending on the variety and preparation method. The Insectarium is not the first to promote the idea of eating insects. They’ve appeared on a few menus and publications throughout the years, including the University of Maryland’s “Cicada-Licious” in 2004.
“Every culture has things that they love to eat and, maybe, things that are taboo or things that people just sort of, wrinkle their nose and frown their brows at,” Lemann said. “And there’s no reason to do that with insects when you look at the nutritional value, their quality on the plate, how they taste, and the environmental benefits of harvesting insects instead of dealing with livestock.”
While preparing to serve wild-caught cicadas legally at the Bug Appetit cafe, Lemann is also securing sources for the insects. He anticipates that this spring’s significant emergence of two large cicada broods will boost general interest in entomophagy (eating insects) and the insect itself, even though southeast Louisiana isn’t directly affected.
Lemann speculated about the likely surge in curiosity from both locals and visitors due to the national attention on periodical cicadas, adding, “Which is another reason I hope to have enough to serve it at least a few times to people.”
Lemann has been working to ensure that the Bug Appetit cafe has legal permission to offer wild-caught cicadas while also lining up suppliers for the insects. He anticipates that the unprecedented emergence of two massive cicadas this spring will pique people’s interest in insects in general, as well as the Insectarium, even though southeast Louisiana is not affected.
“I can’t imagine, given the fact that periodical cicadas are national news, that we won’t have guests both local and from outside New Orleans asking us about that,” said Lemann. “Which is another reason I hope to have enough to serve it at least a few times to people.”
