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Wrap-up of news stories taken from the day's local headlines.

Cicada-licious: An overlooked delicacy

Photo credit: thecleverroot.com

(WEAA) - As we all know, cicadas will be making their debut towards the end of May and will live above ground from four to six weeks. They’ll begin to die off between late June and early July after mating and laying hundreds of eggs. Although most individuals look at cicadas in disgust and express a great deal of fear over the insect, some are adventurous enough to consume the creepy crawlers!

Cicadas are gluten-free, high in protein, low in fat, and low in carbohydrates. They have an asparagus- like flavor, especially when they are consumed raw or boiled, says Gene Kritsky, a biologist and cicada expert at the College of Mount Saint Joseph in Cincinnati, Ohio. If you are allergic to shellfish, then consuming cicadas are probably not in your best interest due to the fact they are from the same biological phylum - arthropods. 

ALSO READ: Cicadas will soon invade the state of Maryland

There are many cicada cookbooks with a variety of ways to safely consume the delicacy such as “Cicada-Licious: Cooking and Enjoying Cicada” written by Jenna Jadin and “The Cicada Cookbook” by Chris Royal.

 

The recipes include chocolate covered/ candied cicadas, Cica-delicious pizza, chocolate chip cookies, deep fried cicadas, and even cocktails.