Main Ingredients:

See below ingredients and instructions of the recipe

Cooking Preparation of the Recipe:

60 Freshly emerged 17 year
Cicadas
3 c Flour
Salt and pepper to season
Flour
4 Eggs, beaten
1 c Corn oil or slightly salted
Butter

The seventeen year cicada is considered a delicacy by nearly every
living creature and when emerging, by the millions, stuff every
animal for miles. Birds have trouble getting off the ground. Foxes
waddle. Garter snakes are lumpy. Dogs and cats curl up and sleep all
day. In former times, the Native Americans found them to be a worthy
addition to their diets when available.

The cicadas emerge at night and hang like snow white Christmas
ornaments from the trees. As they dry, their color darkens to a
black with orange decorative stripes. They are at their finest at
night when they just emerge and are still soft. They make great
campfire cooking fare. For those who are interested, they are kosher!

The best way to prepare them is to dip them, still alive, in beaten
egg, roll them in the seasoned flour and then gently saute them until
they are golden brown. They have a wonderful rich nutty flavor.
Preparing them is simplicity itself.

To find a supply of cicadas, call or write a local college or
university department of entomology. They can supply information as
to which brood will be emerging in your area or near your area. They
may be able to supply a general map and even specific dates when the
emergence will occur. Here, in Indiana, we will have to wait until
about Memorial Day weekend, 2002 A.D. So you see, this is not a
treat that you can just go out and pick up at Krogers. It is worth
the wait, even if it is just to say that you have done it!

John Hartman
Indianapolis, IN
1996

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