Fried grasshoppers often serve as appetizers and snacks.
People in many countries regularly consume insects, especially in those places where other affordable protein sources are severely limited. They prepare grasshoppers, crickets, silkworms, ants, scorpions and larvae of a variety of insects in assorted culinary styles. Grasshoppers are plentiful, easy to catch and among the most favored for frying in hot oil, as their skin becomes crisp and crackly during the process.
Preparation
Although any size grasshopper can be fried, smaller ones are preferred because they can be eaten whole. The small front legs and tips of the back legs of large grasshoppers are unsavory and normally removed before frying. If the legs are left intact, diners typically use them like toothpicks to hold the fried grasshopper body in place while they eat. The grasshoppers are usually fried in flavorless oil such as vegetable or canola and served hot as appetizers or bar food. Other common methods of grasshopper preparation include baking, boiling and roasting.
Flavorings
Cayenne pepper is a common fried grasshopper seasoning. Cooks sprinkle it on immediately after they remove the grasshoppers from the oil so the pepper sticks to the skins. They sometimes spray spicy seasonings on fried grasshoppers to add taste. Sweet and savory dipping sauces such as honey, mustard and ketchup are frequently served with fried grasshoppers.
Taste and Nutrition
Fried grasshopper consumers describe their taste as everything from meaty to earthy, grassy and slightly sour, similar to the taste of a mild citrus fruit. Some compare their taste to crunchy popcorn kernels. Some people dip fried grasshoppers in chocolate and serve them for dessert. A 1-oz. serving of grasshopper, not counting the cooking oil, flavorings or sauces, has around 82 calories, 16 of which come from fat. The serving also includes 5.59 mg cholesterol, 7.01 mg sodium and 19.65 mg potassium. The nutrients in grasshoppers include vitamins A, D and B-12, calcium, riboflavin, phosphorus, zinc and copper.
History
People have always consumed grasshoppers and other insects. History indicates Romans and Greeks regularly ate them. The writings of Aristotle and his contemporaries include passages on prime harvesting times for cicadas as well as improving the taste of larvae by nourishing them with wine and flour. Early American Indians quick-fried crickets by driving them into open ditches and setting them on fire. Today, people eat agave worms in Mexico, dragonflies in Bali and winged termites in Ghana. Thailand is most closely associated with fried grasshoppers.
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