The Cicadas have returned. Known as Brood X, these insects tunnel through dark soil, feeding on sap until they emerge from the earth. While some people just want to be rid of them, restaurants are having a different reaction: Grab a knife and fork. 1/ wired.trib.al/jevIuEn
Brood X offers something beyond noise and wonder. It offers a source of free-range, no-cost, eco-friendly protein—one so good that chefs are already out foraging with plans to add cicadas to the menu. 2/
Around the world, edible insects have been a part of rich culinary traditions for years, from Mexico’s crunchy chapulines to beondegi, Korea’s silkworm pupae street food. Not only is it cost-efficient, but it’s also environmentally friendly. 3/
High-end, and with an appealingly low carbon footprint. Farming insects is much more efficient than raising conventional livestock which is why people see insect-eating as part of food’s inevitable future. 4/
Chirps chips and grasshoppers are amongst the few insects Americans have begun to snack on; however, edible insects are still closer to a novelty than a staple in the standard American diet. 5/
Chefs around the country are using Brood X to get people pumped about creepy crawlies. Many are preparing the insects for various pop-up dinners and demonstrations, incorporating the cicadas in paella, pizza, and as a sushi ingredient. 6/
wired.trib.al/jevIuEn
wired.trib.al/jevIuEn
No cicadas in your area? There’s another option—home cooking. Simply make your favorite dish and swap the usual protein for bugs. If things don’t turn out, that’s OK, too—Brood II, a smaller but still formidable swarm, will emerge on the East Coast in 2030. Get ready. 7/
For more fascinating features and news you won't get anywhere else, subscribe to WIRED. Your first year is only $10: wired.trib.al/f3r0g6N
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
