All those bugs buzzin’ ‘round your head
Well, they fly in the air as you comb your hair
And the summertime will make you
Itch the mosquito bites
-The Flaming Lips
Beijing trees are full of cicadas. I mean, at least, from my
point of view and from what I hear, there must be billions of cicadas in one
tree. They sound like screaming raddles, but soothe in their steady rhythm. We wondered what such loud insects looked like. We got the opportunity when a plate
of cicadas was served for dinner.
We made some new friends here, and one is professional chef
and native Beijinger. I am pretty sure he gets a big kick out serving insects
to westerners. So how did we like the bugs? The cicadas tasted like potato
chips, salty and crunchy. Honestly, I thought they were pretty good and I ate my fair share.
birdMAN preferred the silkworms. They were meaty with a flavor difficult to describe,
sort of medicinal.
Along with the
cicadas and silkworms, our host fed us a mouthwatering spread of stir-fried
chicken, spicy pork, tender fall-off the bone beef, and cold mushrooms and
asparagus. The meal ended with a shot of báijiǔ (白酒). Home cooked Chinese
food is the best.
Chinese word of the blog: 好吃 hǎo chī (literally, good food)
English
translation: tasty / delicious
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| We want tor learn how to make this: chicken, vegetables, and candied peanuts |
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| Cicadas taste like crunchy potato chips |
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| Silkworms |
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| Evening meal |
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| Cicadas are delicious! |
