Feeding the WORLD.... :)

[American Patriot]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1768396/posts

You guys really need to read this particular thread on Free Republic. LOL

In pictures: Desert shrimps
BBC ^ | 1/07 | Sean Murray



Locust ritual


In Nigeria’s far north-eastern Borno State, man is biting back against the desert locust, reports the BBC News website's Senan Murray.


Swarms of migrating locusts seasonally strip the semi-arid region of its scanty vegetation and crops.


But Gambo Ibrahim, 27, a locust hunter, says the people of Borno have found a way of converting the desert locust’s assault into an annual banquet.


They eat the locusts which they call "desert shrimps".

One bad turn


“In pidgin English, we say: ‘Na do me, I do you’,” says Mr Ibrahim, who has been hunting locusts for eight years.


“I mean, yes, the locusts are eating up our crops, but we are also eating them up and making money to boot.


“So, both man and locust are losers, but I think they are worse off because we are eating them. I guess you could say one bad turn deserves another,” he says with a chuckle.



Hunting


“Since the locusts fly and man cannot fly, then if man must catch them, he has to figure out a way to engage the locusts on familiar territory - ground.
“The locusts tend not to fly at night because it is really cold (temperature drops to 9C and dark). That’s when we go after them.


“You need safety boots like these ones I have on, which are actually my dad’s cast-off military issue and they serve the purpose well,” Mr Ibrahim says.



Light trap


“In addition to the safety boots and a minimum of three layers of clothes – jeans is the best – you also need a very powerful torch like the one I have on my head,” Mr Ibrahim explains.


“You use it to see your way in the Sahara at night. The torch is actually also a trap.


"The locusts are attracted to it and they literally just come flying into your face and all you really have to do is just pick them off.”



Money-spinner


“We then put them in bags and head for the market. A bag of live locusts fetches between $26 and $30.


Locusts are simply money-spinners,” Mr Ibrahim says. “Most of our buyers are women who in turn dress the locusts, fry them and sell them to members of the public.”



Snack


“We buy the locusts from the boys," says Esther Daniel, who sells fried locusts in Maiduguri town.


"After that we remove their wings so they can’t fly,” she says.


“We simply deep-fry them in vegetable oil. Then they are ready to be eaten as a snack,” Mrs Daniel explains.


“We make a powder of salted hot chilli which we call yaji. You eat the locust by dipping it in the yaji.”



Taste


“We eat them because they taste good and they are nutritious. In fact, they taste like shrimps,” says Judith Passo, a self-confessed locust eater.


“The hind legs are the tastiest part. They are the ones that actually make people call the locusts 'desert shrimps'.


“Desert shrimps,” she added laughing.

[Neue Regel]

I must admit I ate locusts in Hong Kong on a dare once. Back alley of Kowloon. They stripped the wings off, squirted out the abdominal guts, took a pastry filler and re-filled it with a chili/garlic paste, and a stir fry with a sweet chili/soy sauce.

Being 4 beers into the night(which helped), I remember them being spicy, sweet, crunchy, and didn't taste even remotely like chicken. (or shrimp). Can't say I'd get them again, but I did snag my $20 bet which fueled the rest of the evenings beers.

On a more serious note, protein is protein. When your back is against the wall, you get it where you can.

[Malsua]

I really hate eating bugs.