Photo: Michael Kropiewnicki / Pexels
A way to take advantage of the invasion in the United States of billions of cicadas known as Brood X is eating them. With these insects they are nutritious and you can prepare various meals and even desserts, but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has a warning: “Do not eat cicadas if you are allergic to shellfish. ”
Shellfish are part of the foods identified as major food allergens . The tweet shared by the FDA indicates that cicadas share a family relationship with shrimp and lobsters, although no further details are provided.
Yep! We have to say it!
Don’t eat #cicadas if you’re allergic to seafood as these insects share a family relation to shrimp and lobsters. https://t.co/UBg7CwrObN pic.twitter.com/3qn7czNg53
– US FDA (@US_FDA) June 2, 1400135267269414914
“An allergy to shellfish increases the likelihood that you are allergic to the cicada, so it is better to be safe than sorry and refrain from terrestrial arthropods if you cannot eat their cousins who swim in the sea ”, says Cortni Borgerson , assistant professor of anthropology in an article shared by Montclair State University.
In the university publication it is noted that cicadas have a chitinous exterior similar to shellfish and indicates that while there is not overwhelming evidence that people with allergies have had reactions after eating cicadas, there is also not much inve investigation in your favor.
Cicadas are safe, nutritious and safe for consumption
Noisy and harmless cicadas are safe to eat for both humans and pets.
Cicadas are rich in protein and according to their Borgerson, their chitin is excellent for intestinal health.
“ Insects are highly nutritious , provide protein and high quality nutrients compared to meat and fish “, states the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
In addition to providing proteins. insects are also rich in fiber, healthy fatty acids, and micronutrients such as copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, selenium, and zinc.
” There are no known cases of transmission of diseases or parasitoids to humans derived from the consumption of insects (always that insects have been handled under the same hygienic conditions as any other food) ”, says the FAO.
You can collect cicadas from parks , wooded areas or patios. Just avoid collecting and eating cicadas from places with a history of industrial use.
The practice of eating insects, called entomophagy, is nothing new or strange to humans. They have been consumed mainly in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Among the preferred edible insects are beetles, caterpillars and bees, wasps and ants.
“Insects are an important source of food for more than two billion people on Earth, including many food cultures in the United States… They are a more sustainable option than other livestock species , which can require a lot of land, water and food, ”says Borgerson.
How to cook cicadas?
Cicadas have a nutty flavor and texture similar to crustaceans . They can be enjoyed in many ways and can be cooked in different ways. Fried, roasted, roasted, baked or steamed. They can also be dried and preserved.
They are eaten whole or ground into powder or in paste. Among so many options to do with cicadas are tacos, sushi, batter them or bread them, add them to stews, sauces and even eat them covered in chocolate like teaches a Maryland chocolate shop to do it .
Jerome Grant, a professor at the University of Tennessee told WVLT that insects taste really good and that if someone tasted them without knowing what it is, they would enjoy them. Share that one of the simplest ways to eat cicadas is in tacos: “You prepare them as you normally would, but instead of chicken or steak, you add cicadas.”
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