Myth Happens

When I was in second or third grade, one of my life goals was to eat a chocolate-covered grasshopper. I no longer remember why. I had learned about insects as a food source very early on—I credit either Natural History or Smithsonian, both of which I used to read in bed—but something about the grasshopper in specific must have sounded especially appealing. Possibly I thought they would taste green. Or they were familiar enough to me from the back yard that they were not offputting, like scorpions or mealworms. I remember similarly trying to persuade my parents to buy me chocolate-covered ants and feeling acutely disappointed when they told me there was nowhere in Boston that made them. I understood I shouldn't try in our kitchen. I wondered if I could order them through the mail.

nineweaving just sent me this link. Crickets are possibly the one insect I feel bad about eating! They are kept as pets. They sing. Locusts are voracious, kosher, and I've always wanted to try them fried, but flavored cricket chips feel like buffalo linnet wings. Plus, calling them "Chirps"? It's a cute, endearing name. It sounds like crickets singing. It reminds me of my brother's parakeet. Sustainable food is wonderful; I have no revulsion about eating insects. I eat animals all the time. I don't think I can bring myself to eat crickets. Their little twittering antennae. I was never upset to find them in the house.

That said, I am all for Mei Mei reverse-engineering garum, with or without mealworms.

But not crickets. I had no idea I was so attached.