Edible+Insects+of+Vermont

Are you a starving college student? An adventurous person? Into sustainable, free-range foods? Do your friends like to bribe you to eat things? Then insect gourmet is for you! Below are two edible insects found in Vermont, but there are many, many more in the state!

__**Main Course: Pillbugs (Phylum Arthropoda, subphylum Crustacea, order Isopoda)**__

Okay, okay, I know pillbugs aren't insects, but they are a common, edible arthropod so I've included them here. Pillbugs are actually terrestrial crustaceans that are related to lobsters and shrimp. They are always found in damp places: beneath rocks, under logs, and in basements. When disturbed, they roll themselves into balls, hence their other common name "rollie polies".

From Green Deane of "Eat the Weeds:"


 * Pillbug Sushi**

1 eggs 1 carrot 1 cup of dry rice 3/4 cup of water seaweed sheet 2 tablespoons of vinegar 2 tablespoons of sugar 1 teaspoon of salt 2 tablespoons of boiled pillbugs

Add rice to the water and microwave for 10 minutes or until cooked. Add the vinegar, sugar and salt. Cut carrot into thin lengths. Cook in microwave with a small amount of water until tender. You can also use thin strips of egg omelette to add color. Spread rice in a thin layer over the seaweed sheet. Put strips of carrot, eggs, pillbugs in the center of the rice. Tightly roll up the seaweed sheet using a little water to seal the edges. Cut into short lengths with a serrated knife.

__**Dessert: Cicadas** (Order Hemiptera, suborder Auchenorrhyncha, superfamily Cicadoidea)__

Cicadas are famous for their incredibly loud song, which is used to attract mates. After mating has occurred, females use a pointy ovipositor to inject their eggs into tree twigs, where nymphs are born and fall to the ground. Once in contact with soil, they burrow into the ground and attach their mouthparts to tree roots. The sap from these roots provides adequate nutrition to grow through several nymph stages into an adult, producing a gluten-free cicada. When the time has arrived to make the final molt, cicadas leave the ground, climb the trunk of a tree, and emerge from their nymphal shells as winged adults. Cicadas in the genus Magicicada emerge as adults by the millions every 13 or 17 years, providing ample cuisine for the intrepid eater.

Cicadas are best collected and eaten just shortly after they have emerged from the ground but before they have crawled up the tree. Look for them in the pre-dawn hours. While there are hundreds of ways to prepare cicadas, the following recipe is from Jenna Jardin's cookbook //Cicada-licios//:

**Candied Cicadas**

1 pound cicadas 1 cup white sugar 2 tsp ground cinnamon ¼ tsp salt 3 tbsp milk 1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spread cicadas in a single layer over a baking sheet. Roast for approximately 15-20 minutes, or until the cicadas start to turn brown and are thoroughly dried out.

Stir together sugar, cinnamon, salt, and milk in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat for eight minutes, or until the mixture reaches the soft ball stage at 236°F (113°C). Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla immediately.

Add cicadas to sugar syrup, and stir to coat well. Spoon onto waxed paper, and immediately separate cicadas with a fork. Cool and store in airtight containers.

__**Sources:**__

Deane, Green. //Pillbugs, Woodlice, Roly Pollies//. Eat the Weeds. Retrieved from: http://www.eattheweeds.com/armadillidium-vulgare-land-shrimp-2/

Marshall, Stephen A. 2006. //Insects: their natural history and diversity//. Ontario: Firefly Books.

Roach, John. 2013. Cicada Recipies: Bugs are a Low-Carb, Gluten-Free Food. Retrieved from: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/04/130515-cicadas-recipes-food-cooking-bugs-nation-animals/

Texas A&M. //Sowbug, Pillbug.// Retrieved from: https://insects.tamu.edu/fieldguide/cimg377.html

Other fun links:

Bon Appetit Magazine's "How to Cook Cicadas": http://www.bonappetit.com/uncategorized/article/how-to-cook-cicadas-according-to-3-richmond-va-chefs

Girl Meets Bug's "List of Edible Bugs": http://edibug.wordpress.com/list-of-edible-insects/

The New York Times: "What is Fried and has Six Legs?" http://www.nytimes.com/1992/05/20/garden/what-is-fried-and-has-six-legs-welcome-to-insect-cuisine.html?pagewanted=1 _

Page created by K. Finan