Grasshoppers for Dinner

Braden Smiled and said, “It tastes good.” He had just eaten his first grasshopper.

Sautéed Grasshoppers, ummm

Braden was so excited when we caught the elusive bouncing bug that “spits tobacco.” “Can I eat it?” “Of course you can”, I replied “but since grasshoppers tend to carry parasites, you’ll have to cook it first.” This wasn’t the first time he had asked about the edibility of bugs. In fact, at only five he has probably eaten more creepy-crawling creatures then most adults will in a lifetime. His favorite bug, “I like black ants the best! They taste like lemon drops.” Now don’t sit there and go, “ewe!” Although bugs are not harvested for food in the US, those of us who purchase our groceries at the local store are eating them everyday. The only difference, you can’t see the 13 insect heads in the 100 grams of fig paste used to make that tasty Fig Newton.

What if you were hungry? Could you knowingly eat a grasshopper? Did you know that on average, a small grasshopper has 20.6 g of protein, 6.1 g fats, 3.9 g carbohydrates, 35.2 mg calcium, and 5 mg of iron? A similar amount of lean ground beef has 24 g protein, 18.3 g fats, 0 g carbohydrates, 9 mg calcium, and 2.09 mg iron. Hmm, that grasshopper doesn’t look too bad after all, does it?

“Dad, Dad, I got a grasshopper!” “I want to cook it!”

It only took a couple seconds, over an open flame, to cook the grasshopper. To prevent its legs from irritating Braden’s throat, they were removed. Braden posed for a picture and then mucked it down. His smile was contagious! “It tastes good,” he said. “Can we catch some more?” For the next 30 minutes Braden was like Tigger of Pooh fame, pouncing toward any flying insect in his path. We laughed, played, and ultimately advanced Braden’s survival skills.

One week later Braden burst into the house, “Dad, Dad, I got a grasshopper!” “I want to cook it!” Hmm, I thought, I guess he really does like eating bugs. Silently I hoped he wouldn’t find a slug! I hate eating slugs! If the day comes that Braden brings a slug home, we will definitely cook it. It is hard getting over my slug aversion especially when eating them raw. It’s even harder dealing with that terrible slimy feeling they leave in your mouth. For today, Braden has overcome his food aversions! It’s doubtful that I’ll never have to worry about him having something to eat.

As a general rule avoid bugs that carry disease (flies, mosquitoes, and ticks), poisonous insects (centipedes and spiders), and bugs that have fine hair, bright colors, and eight or more legs.