Hmmm... best make sure there are no allergies in the house
before serving up cicada stir-fry. There is a link at the
bottom of the story with cicada recipes.
Michael
Man Becomes Ill After Gorging on Cicadas
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) - A man who cooked and ate nearly 30
cicadas sought medical treatment after suffering a strong
allergic reaction to the sauteed insects.
The man showed up at a Bloomington clinic Thursday covered
from head-to-toe in hives, and sheepishly told a doctor he'd
caught and ate the cicadas after sauteing them in butter
with crushed garlic and basil.
``He said they didn't taste too bad, but his wife didn't
care for the aroma,'' said Dr. Al Ripani, the doctor who
treated the man at Promptcare East.
The man, who has a history of asthma and shellfish
allergies, suffered a ``significant allergic reaction,''
after eating the cicadas, Ripani said.
He said he gave the man antihistamines, steroids and a shot
of adrenaline, then observed him for two hours before
sending him home.
After living underground for 17 years and feeding on tree
roots, the so- called Brood X cicadas are emerging by the
billions across the Eastern U.S.
Ripani said recent newspaper articles extolling the
tastiness of cicada cuisine should have warned people that
dining on the bugs can be dangerous for some people.
``Severe food allergies such as this can be fatal,'' he
said. ``I feel that needs to be stressed in these
articles.''
He said the University of Maryland's department of
entomology's Cicada- licious cookbook, which includes
recipes for Cicada Stir-Fry and Cicada Dumplings, contains
a disclaimer urging people to consult a doctor before
eating cicadas.
``We ask that you please take special caution if you have
other food allergies, such as soy, nuts or shellfish, or if
you know of any contact allergies that you may have to other
insects,'' it states.
On the Net:
Cicada-licious: Cooking and Enjoying Periodical Cicadas:
www.urhome.umd.edu/newsdesk/pdf/cicada%20recipes.PDF
--
Deathbed statement...
"Codeine . . . bourbon." ~~Tallulah Bankhead, actress, d.
December 12, 1968