Mormon Crickets – Sweet, Tasty and Versatile

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Most of us get nostalgic listening to the shrill, high-pitched sounds of crickets on a summer night. It’s a sign of longer nights, lazy days, barbecues and maybe even the possibility of a romantic rendezvous. Well, you wouldn’t be the only one since those high-pitched mating calls that some refer to as an ‘auditory aphrodisiac’ signify the optimal mating time for these horny little katydids, also known as Mormon crickets (Anabrus simplex). Although they are called crickets, they are actually members of the katydid family Tettigoniidae, which is a relative of the grasshopper so they appear to be a cross between the two.

And no, Mormons do not consider ‘crickets’ a primary food source. The Mormons’ wheat fields were invaded by these little guys which were later named after them. Early Native Americans decided these crickets made an excellent food source, so they found creative ways of trapping literally tons of these crickets for the women to gather in large baskets to cook, dry, pound into a flour and then make a slightly sweet, dark-colored bread for the winter.

Never underestimate the power of a beautiful woman. Throughout history, women used their charming smiles and longing stares to get kings and royalty to do…well…anything. Do we all agree?

Good, you will understand and just like Ellen, will become complete putty when you watch this video (below). And you will try a cricket sandwich and you will blissfully roll your eyes at the savory taste you’ve just experienced just like she did.

Don’t believe us? Well. Salma says, “…you need to be more daring!” So last night, I listened to Salma.

I was daring and romantic although the look on my wife’s face said otherwise. I told her I was going out for a few hours and of course a thought crossed my mind and I tucked my pants into my socks in case these katydids’ survival instincts went off and they tried to attack like Hitchcock’s ‘The Birds’. There was no way one of these little guys was getting revenge on my secret parts. I didn’t pick up my phone because I was very busy…walking through the woods armed with a glass jar in the middle of the night to go catch as many of those ‘crickets’ as I possibly can.

“Lightning bugs? You didn’t pick up your phone because you were capturing lightning bugs?”

I shrugged and slumped to get ready for bed. I was wiped. They’re fast. And they hide better than Houdini. Although I didn’t do as well as the Native Americans did, I learned a little lesson.

I’m not as convincing as Salma Hayek.

I also highly recommend that you conveniently order Mormon crickets instead of trying to catch them yourself. Because you probably won’t catch any and as you can see, coming up with an ingenious ‘romantic flashlight’ idea will spike her estrogen’s BS detector and probably land you on the couch!

The possibilities and versatility of Mormon crickets are truly endless; you can saute them, fry them, boil and mince them into pancakes or fritters and even use them as a meat or bean replacement in side dishes with rice, quinoa or cous cous. Use your culinary expertise and the highest reviewed recipes to create your own divine, exotic creations!

 

Resources

Egan, W.M. (Ed.). 1917. Pioneering the West 1846-1878: Major Howard Egan’s Diary. Richmond, Utah: Howard Egan Estate, pp. 228-233.

Riddell, F.A. 1978. Honey Lake Paiute ethnography. Occas Papers, Nev. State Mus. 3(1):51-52.

 

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Author: insectrecipes

3 comments

  1. Anonymous says:

    Go Salma!!

  2. […] This valuable piece of info will dangle itself into their psyche like a rabbit chasing a carrot. Or me chasing a cricket through the woods. You get the […]

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