Trillions of insects known as cicadas are set to spring to life after 17 years living underground across the U.S. from next month, but the phenomenon won't just be a chance to see a rare sight—it's an opportunity to enjoy a rare snack.
Biologists who have studied cicadas say they are not only safe to eat—but may actually taste quite nice when dipped in chocolate, made into a stir fry, cooked into a pizza, added to some fresh banana bread, or perhaps a rhubarb pie.
It's no April Fools' Day joke. Some of those specific recipes can be found in a cookbook focused on the species released in 2004, known as Cicada-licious.
That year was the last time a tsunami of periodical cicadas, collectively known as Brood X, took flight in the U.S. This year, the brood will surface from the ground between May and June, although the first signs of their appearance could be seen in April.
Considering trying out the delicacy? If so, Jenna Jadin, a Ph.D. evolutionary biologist and author of Cicada-licious, told Newsweek there are key things to know before eating the bugs, and gave some handy tips about the best ways you can cook the insects.
Can you eat the Brood X cicadas?
"Absolutely. However, there are a few things to keep in mind if you eat them. Depending on where they lived for the past 17 years, they may have absorbed lots of chemicals.
"If they emerge from your yard and you put fertilizer or pesticide on your yard, or on your trees they may be feeding from, it is entirely possible that they could have absorbed some of these chemicals. If you eat them, you want to ensure they are 'organic.'
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