Still Not as Gross as Brussels Sprouts

Cicadas are the new sushi. Bun Lai, a chef in New Haven, Connecticut, has developed several recipes centered on the cicada, that most reclusive of insects, known for their ear-splitting noise, as well as the fact that they emerge to swarm over parts of the East Coast but once every 17 years.

So three things:

Number one, yuck.

Number two, see number one.

Number three, did we mention that cicadas only show up every 17 years? Basing a restaurant menu on cicadas, then, seems like a flawed business model, no matter how “delicious” one purports them to be. And one shudders to think what a chef uses as a cicada substitute. ‘Cause let’s face it, when it comes to insects, the East Coast is the furthest thing from a food desert. Indeed, I suspect the kitchen of even the most upscale restaurant hosts whole pantries full of. . .shall we say, ingredients. . . for an enterprising chef.

So, y’know, enjoy your cicada frittatas all you like, if that’s your thing. But come 2022, I’d think twice before chowing down on that Brood X Burger.