Grasshoppers are a crunchy and delicious food that people around the world enjoy, for example in Mexico and Uganda. A locust contains 6 grams of protein. Many people think that we should catch more grasshoppers to meet the availability of healthy and nutritious food. As long as it is cooked, either boiled or fried, grasshoppers are quite safe to eat and can be eaten immediately. If you want to know how to cook grasshoppers in a variety of ways, see Step 1 to get started.
Ingredients
Dried Roasted Grasshopper
- 1 cup grasshopper
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Butter and onion fried grasshoppers
- 1/4 cup butter
- 6 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1 cup grasshopper
Flour fried grasshopper
- 3/4 cup flour, sifted
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. salt
- 3/4 c milk
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 cup grasshopper
- 1 pt. stiff whipped cream
Grasshopper satay
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tsp. honey
- 1/2 tsp. grated ginger
- 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp. chopped parsley
- 1 tbsp. chopped parsley
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 12 frozen grasshoppers
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 onion, cut into 8
Sauteed grasshoppers
- 1 cup grasshopper
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 serrano chili
- 1/2 onion, diced
Step
Part 1 of 2: Preparing the Grasshopper
Step 1. Catch the grasshopper
The easiest way to get grasshoppers to cook is to catch them yourself. Grasshoppers are easiest to catch in the morning. When it's still cold, they tend to be sluggish. If you are agile enough, catch the grasshopper on the ground with your hands, or use a net. You can also make more complicated traps:
- Dig a hole in the ground and place a Mason jar that has been baited in it, such as oats, apples, or carrots. Put soil around the jar or tilt the jar -- the next morning, you might find some grasshoppers in the jar. Close the jar, and you can get the grasshopper! If you want the locusts you caught alive, poke holes in the lid of the jar.
- Pick a willow stem about a meter long and gently hit the grasshopper. The grasshopper will not be able to escape.
Step 2. Alternatively, buy grasshoppers
Depending on where you live, it might be a little difficult to buy a grasshopper, but it's not impossible. Try going to the Mexican market. Grasshoppers, called "chapulines" in Mexican, are a popular food in Oaxaca.
Step 3. Make sure you cook the grasshoppers
Grasshoppers are delicious and safe to eat, but you have to cook them first. By cooking it, you can eat it safely and the parasites carried on the grasshopper's body can be lost. Do not try to eat grasshoppers raw, because they can make you sick.
Step 4. Remove the legs and wings
Grasshopper feet are inedible. While it's fine if you eat them, it's a good idea to remove the grasshopper legs before you start cooking them. So are the wings. Some people say that freezing grasshoppers for 10-15 minutes or simmering them for a few minutes can make it easier to remove grasshopper legs. This method can also be done to turn them off.
Some people also remove the head, which also removes the intestines (including the stomach). This method tends to get rid of certain parasites (and can reduce the risk of eating grasshoppers that are still raw, but it's best if you cook them). You can pierce the abdominal cavity with a skewer and cook it over a fire
Step 5. Clean the grasshoppers before you eat them
Make sure you wash it under running water until it's completely clean. Dry with a special paper towel for the kitchen and then freeze or boil the grasshoppers, depending on the recipe.
Part 2 of 2: Cooking Grasshoppers
Step 1. Make a dry roasted grasshopper
This is probably the easiest way to cook grasshoppers. Here's how:
- Freeze the grasshoppers you cleaned for an hour or two.
- Place the grasshopper on a paper towel on parchment paper.
- Preheat the oven to 200°F (93°C) and then cook the grasshoppers for 1-2 hours until they are savory, dry, and crunchy.
- Try chopping it up a bit with a spoon to test the crispness. It's up to you how crispy you want it -- make sure the grasshoppers don't burn during cooking.
- If you like, coat the grasshoppers with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 2. Make the fried grasshoppers dry in butter
To make this simple menu, here are the steps:
- Melt 1/4 cup butter in a skillet.
- Lower the heat to medium-low heat.
- Saute 6 cloves of garlic for 4-5 minutes, until golden brown.
- Add 1 cup of cleaned grasshoppers to the pan.
- Saute for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 3. Deep-fried grasshoppers
This is a delicious and mouth-watering dish, which can be the perfect snack. Here's how to make it:
- Sift 3/4 cup flour, 1 tsp. baking soda, and 1 tsp. salt together in a container.
- Add 3/4 of the milk and stir the mixture until smooth.
- Beat one egg, then add it to the mixture.
- Take 1 cup of grasshoppers and dip each grasshopper in the egg mixture. Make sure the wings, legs (and head, if you prefer) are removed.
- Heat cooking oil in a frying pan.
- Fry the grasshoppers until crispy and golden brown.
- Add salt and serve.
Step 4. Deep-fried grasshoppers
This is a creative menu that is not only delicious but also attractive. Here's how to make it:
- Make the marinade. The trick, mix all the ingredients except grasshoppers, peppers, and onions. Make this mixture in a special container for non-reactive baking.
- Add the grasshoppers to the marinade. Let the grasshopper sit in the marinade for at least an hour. For best results, soak grasshoppers overnight.
- Remove the grasshoppers from the marinade and drain.
- Make the satay by alternating skewers of grasshoppers, peppers, onions.
- Lightly brush the olive oil on your grill.
- Cook each skewer 2-3 inches (5-7 cm) over the heat.
- Turn the grasshopper skewer every 2-3 minutes and drizzle with olive oil if necessary.
- Cook for about 8-9 minutes, until crispy and ready to eat.
Step 5. Make the grasshopper stir fry
This is an easy and delicious menu. You just need to remove the wings and legs, then clean the grasshopper, and it's ready to fry. Here's how to make it:
- Soak the grasshoppers in a marinade consisting of a mixture of lemon and lime juice for at least an hour.
- Sauté the garlic, serrano chiles, and diced onion in a frying pan with oil over medium heat.
- Remove the garlic, onions, and chilies and sauté the grasshoppers with the remaining marinade for about 8-9 minutes, until crisp and brown.
- Serve. Squeeze a lemon or lime over the cooked grasshoppers and enjoy with tortillas or tacos.
Tips
- Visit a restaurant that has a special menu of insect dishes. There you can enjoy grasshoppers.
- If you don't want to torture the grasshopper too much when you kill it before removing the legs, put the grasshopper in the freezer for 40 minutes before preparing it for cooking.
- If you're disgusted, leave the grasshoppers in the freezer overnight to let them "limp" before cooking. Alternatively, shake in a jar to make them limp.
- Grasshoppers can also be fried in a lot of oil (deep fried).
Warning
- The grasshopper's exoskeleton contains chitin which can cause allergic reactions.
- Do not catch grasshoppers from areas where pesticides have been sprayed.
- Chitin binds fat cells so that fat is not absorbed in our body. This is perfect for losing weight.
- Always cook grasshoppers before eating them.
