Following up on the story I started . . . the bugs arrived in the mail Monday. For the last week, every time the dog barked, the kids ran to the window to see if Mr. UPS was bringing the bugs. Each time he wasn't there, they were disappointed. Finally, our bugs arrived and the kids were hopping like crickets (well, not those crickets) in excitement. I tried so hard to be enthusiastic, but it was quite a challenge. Dinner came; the main course was spaghetti, chicken Parmesan, and salad, but for the appetizers we had "the other green meat." That evening, each person had a small (really small) bowl with sour cream and onion-flavored crickettes and barbecue-flavored larvettes. Since I couldn't let the kids see me wimp out, I bravely tasted it after they started munching.
Wondering what they tasted like? Allen and I decided the larva were a lot like those partially-popped popcorn hulls. The texture, the crunch, the flavor -- all like popcorn hulls. The crickets tasted pretty much the same, but since they were bigger, the texture was different. Same crunch as the popcorn kernels, but, as the kids put it, "the legs were too poky." Yes, the bugs were dead, but the legs were sharp -- they poked the kids' tongues -- poke-y.
In our home, kids must finish dinner before they can have dessert. I didn't force them to eat the bugs, but they finished them quickly. All four asked for seconds of the insect-variety. Maddie didn't eat the cricket's body, but she pulled all the legs off and seemed to enjoy eating them. Ben didn't finish his spaghetti and chicken, so he wasn't offered dessert. The other kids were ready for it, though. Dessert? White- and milk-chocolate covered crickettes and larvettes. As soon as he saw we were eating bugs for dessert, Ben quickly finished his dinner and asked for the chocolate bugs. The kids all enjoyed the experience. It was neat to see that they aren't afraid to try new things. Any one up for the challenge? They are high in protein, low in fat -- the perfect diet food! .... for a bird, anyway.
4 comments:
I AM SO . . . SO PROUD OF YOU AND YOUR KIDS! -- dad/granddad
PS. Save any for me?
Dad, I have four boxes left! I'll send some with the kids next time they are heading that way. I think we still have 2 boxes of sour cream/onion crickettes, 1 BBQ larva, and 1 cheddar cheese larva. Chocolates are gone, but we have crickets outside if you want me to try to make some for you :)
The kids were disappointed that I couldn't find fried tarantulas -- yes, seriously. They were hoping for a meal like on Bizarre Foods (TV show) . . . and ants. They were hoping for ants.
YUCK!!!! LOL
You are a brave soul and a terrific mom!
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