Cicada - Shrimp of the Land

ihad

So, 30 billion cicadas are emerging from their 17 year underground sleep. Often called "the shrimp of the land," they are high in protein, with a delicate, nutty flavor. What are your favorite ways to prepare them? There must be hundreds of possible recipes.

GetSoda

I just grab a branch one is on and eat the whole thing. Mmm. Salad.

AllonsYtotheTardis

IN for recipes

ihad

Cicada-Rhubarb Pie

Ingredients:
4 cups chopped rhubarb
1 cup fresh cicadas, washed and any hard parts removed 1 1/3 cups white sugar
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon butter
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
2. Combine sugar and flour. Sprinkle 1/4 of it over pastry in pie plate.
Heap rhubarb over this mixture. Sprinkle cicadas in amongst the rhubarb. Sprinkle with remaining sugar and flour. Dot with small pieces of butter. Cover with top crust.
3. Place pie on lowest rack in oven. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and continue baking for 40 to 45 minutes.

Yield:
Makes 1 pie (8 servings).

futuresize8

My favorite cicada recipe involves me running away from them, screaming and flailing my arms.

No calories consumed, calories burned by running away like a freak.

'Nuff said.

cmriverside

I hear you can eat 200 of them for 121 cals.


Pretty lowfat too..so I hear. They would be good in muffins.

AllonsYtotheTardis

they would be a good protein option in a trail mix. For those who can't eat peanuts.

DavPul

EASY CICADA PROTEIN SMOOTHIE

Pure 16 oz of milk into blender
Add two handfuls of live cicadas
Blend to desired texture

Enjoy!

LoraF83

Cicadas are Paleo/Primal right?

BeachIron

steam them with cayenne pepper and suck the heads . . .

MiloBloom83

30 billion? Ha! What are you guys gonna eat?

mikeatmichael

You all may be joking, I'm not sure. I have seen them pan fired and chocolate covered.

AllonsYtotheTardis

I'm reasonably certain they would make a better pizza crust than cauliflower.

Otterluv

I like to keep it simple and summery: roasted over an open fire. You know they are done when they make that tell-tale popping sound.

Carnivor0us

Gross.

charlenequinn94

My favorite cicada recipe involves me running away from them, screaming and flailing my arms.

No calories consumed, calories burned by running away like a freak.

'Nuff said.

I agree

debloves2ride

fried and dipped in chocolate - the only way to go

UrnAsh

My favorite cicada recipe involves me running away from them, screaming and flailing my arms.

No calories consumed, calories burned by running away like a freak.

'Nuff said.

Ha! If there was only a "like" button.

BigDave1050

I'm with Jack

MizTerry

I think I'm going to barf.

Those things scare the bejeezus out of me. They sound like a hot power line.

cals83

Ice cream: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/06/07/137042196/making-the-best-out-of-invasion-missouri-shop-makes-cicada-ice-cream

TXBelle1174

I'm reasonably certain they would make a better pizza crust than cauliflower.

^^ THIS!

BurtHuttz

I don't have the chutzpah for it.

Izzwoz

Flash fried or grilled for me - also great on a skewer with chorizo and courgette, nomm!

tonybalony01

If they're really the "shrimp of the land", I'm pumped to try some Cicada scampi or buffalo cicada or maybe some popcorn cicada.
If I'm not feeling too imaginative, I guess I could just do some cicada kebabs on the grill.
Great! Now I'm hungry. Where can I get me some of these bad boys?

icimani

Cicada-Rhubarb Pie

Ingredients:
4 cups chopped rhubarb
1 cup fresh cicadas, washed and any hard parts removed 1 1/3 cups white sugar
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon butter
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
2. Combine sugar and flour. Sprinkle 1/4 of it over pastry in pie plate.
Heap rhubarb over this mixture. Sprinkle cicadas in amongst the rhubarb. Sprinkle with remaining sugar and flour. Dot with small pieces of butter. Cover with top crust.
3. Place pie on lowest rack in oven. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and continue baking for 40 to 45 minutes.

Yield:
Makes 1 pie (8 servings).

Just How many cicadas (minus the hard parts) does it take to make a cup?

sdbart

If they're really the "shrimp of the land", I'm pumped to try some Cicada scampi or buffalo cicada or maybe some popcorn cicada.
If I'm not feeling too imaginative, I guess I could just do some cicada kebabs on the grill.
Great! Now I'm hungry. Where can I get me some of these bad boys?

Popcorn cicada's with cocktail and tartar sauce actually sounds really yummy. The Cicada scampi also would be something I'd try... as long as they got all the "crunchy" out of the cicadas.

Silver_Star

Cicada snacks



fried cicadas in Thailand

ihad

They are apparently an excellent source of lean protein...

BeachGingerOnTheRocks

I ate them when I was a kid. A neighbor boy and I decided to put some on an open flame when I was around 6. We skewered them and cooked them like roasting marshmallows. We did it to be mean and dare each other to eat them, but it turned out they tasted good.

REALLY good. They get crispy like a chip with some chewy, meaty bits. They tasted a little like toasted sesame seeds.

My mother grounded me for eating a bug. :frown:

ETA: over 600% RDA for iron in 100 grams of cicadas. That is a huge amount of iron.

magerum

I'm reasonably certain they would make a better pizza crust than cauliflower.

QFT

ETA: