Food Review
- sn pubs
- Jul 13, 2016
- 2 min read
Wouldn’t it be weird to find locusts on the menu, especially in an upper-class restaurant? After all, eating insects are considered ‘disgusting’ by many people. However, the people in Israel view them as a delicacy, and show little sign of letting up.
Locusts can be served in many ways. They can be deep-fried or pan fried. According to chef Moshe Basson, founder and owner of the famous Eucalyptus restaurant in Jerusalem, and a specialist in reviving ancient Biblical foods, locusts are best served crunchy. You can achieve the best effect by dropping them into a boiling broth, clean them off, and roll them in a mixture of flour, coriander seeds, garlic and chilli powder. Then deep-fry them. Pan-frying is probably the second best option, as they are “crunchy, tasty and sweet”, says Basson, when mixed with caramel and sprinkled into meringue.
Locusts also have a nutritional value. Like all insects, they are an excellent source of protein, and are denser in proteins then cows. They are also a reasonable source of fats, with their percentages of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids at 44 percent and 54 percent respectively. Their carbohydrate levels are also higher than that found in meat or poultry.
Locusts is also the only insect considered ‘kosher’, which means that they have no rules that has got to do with their ritual slaughter. So despite having a strict diet due to their religious beliefs, the Israelites have no problem with eating locusts, making them a particularly versatile ingredient for culinary connoisseurs.
Although I haven’t tried eating locusts before, I will most certainly try them out if I ever get the chance. Contrary to what some people may think, I think that eating locusts would be interesting and would be an experience of the lifetime. If I pass up the chance, when will I ever get the chance to try them again?
Rachel Goh
1P
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