Put The Bite on Bugs

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There's no need to remove intestines or drain "blood". If you're squeamish about ingesting whatever food the insects themselves have just eaten, place the minilivestock in a small cage (a box with a piece of damp cotton and a cloth cover over the top works well) for 24 hours . . . to allow them to empty out their digestive systems.

In dealing with a large insect (such as a two-inch grasshopper), I pull off and throw away the wings and legs before preparing the bug. Heads and antennae should be considered optional (I usually leave them on). Small insects can be eaten whole, but if you consume a live one such as—for example—a termite "soldier", whose head and claws make up about one-third of its body weight, be sure to remove those portions or crush them with your teeth . . . to prevent your meal from getting in the last bite on its way down the hatch! It's also a good idea to wash just-caught insects in a colander, and pat them dry on paper towels before using them.

[2] Many entomophagists insist that it's necessary to cook insects in order to get rid of any external or internal micro-organisms they might be carrying .. . others feel that such preparation isn't mandatory, and point out that, around the world, insects are often consumed raw. However, I cook them - when possible - in order to be completely safe. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Since there is some question about this point, we recommend that all insects be thoroughly cooked before being eaten.)

[3] As a novice insect taster, you might well wonder about the possible hazards involved in eating species that have poison glands. Adult bees are harmless with the stinger and venom sac left in, and none of the bee preparation books recommends their removal. I've found, however, that bees do have a bitter flavor unless these organs are discarded.

The fact is that most "unfriendly" arachnids and insects are edible. For example, a scorpion can be eaten ... but only after the last segment, bearing the stinger and bulbous poison gland, is cut off. And a renowned eighteenth century French astronomer, Joseph Jerome de Lalande, was known for his love of spiders: He spread them, after they were cooked, on slices of bread.

[4] Don't consume any caterpillars with "fuzzy" bodies. A few such creatures produce an irritation when handled and can cause illness if swallowed. Stick to relatively hairless species that are not feeding on poisonous plants (in fact, an edible plants field guide is necessary whenever you're foraging caterpillars) and are not brightly colored (vivid oranges and reds often serve to warn predators that an insect is badtasting).

[5] Because of the possibility that bugs may be carrying pesticide residues, don't collect them near crops that are heavily sprayed. When you find insects on farms that stick strictly to organic control methods, the six-leggers are not likely to contain any more pesticides than anything else we eat. (Of course, if your back yard is your insect source, you'd better not use any chemical controls there, either.)

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