Critterature: Entomophagy, It's An Acquired Taste
The cooks in the Japanese navy
Make a dish of aquatic fly larvae.
Too small to filet them,
They just lightly sauté them
In well-sugared soy sauce as gravy.
That Venezuelans eat spiders may be new to a few,
Though tarantulas rarely end up in a stew.
They're best when they're toasted,
Or freshly fire roasted,
Yielding eight tasty drumsticks instead of just two.
Some South Africans' diet is less than ideal,
And porridge of corn is a popular meal.
If the stuff's a bit lumpy
They never get grumpy,
Those termites are added to give it some zeal.
In Cambodian markets in streets
Cooked cicadas are vended as treats.
But etiquette begs
One remove wings and legs
Before they're scooped out and served up as eats.
The Balinese delight in flying things,
Dragonflies are crunchy sweet and have no sting.
They're first dewinged to stop their frolic,
Then boiled in coconut milk and garlic,
But just enough to give the taste some zip and zing.
In the rest of the world from Nashville to Naples
They haven't caught on and don't grace many tables.
Though infrequently served
Canapéd or hors d'oeurved,
More bugs are a treat than are treated as staples.
Author's note: According to Miguel Vilar of "Science World", 80% of the world's population savors bugs, either as staples of an everyday diet, or as rare delicacies. Entomophagy has yet to catch on in America and Europe. Thank goodness for small favors. I'm just saying…
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