Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-06-06
WHY NOT EAT INSECTS 2
Grubs, CaterpilI arr, Moths, Butterflies
and Ftshworms Transform ed into Epi-
CureRn Dishes.

From the London NdNddrd.
''Whv not eat insects?' This is not
as might be supposed, a humorous, but
on the contrary, perfectly serious ques
ton prOpounded by Mr.. Vincent NJ. Holt
in a little brochure Just ISIS Ied, and the
writer answers il afiirmatively, in the
alleged interest alike Of the gourmand'
the agriculturist. and the starving poor
1t should be promised that under the con-
venient term "insecr' are included not
only the vecetable-eating grubs, caterpil-
lars, moths. butterflies, and beetles, with
their ohrysalids, but some small mOlluscs
and crustaceans. such as snals and their
kindred Mr.. Holt is not attempting to
initiate the stroke OF humor that led Dean
Swift ironically to advocate eating babies
as means of simultaneously increasing
the food supply and diminishing the pop
uIation, but be sets to work quite grayelv
in crisp and yivacious Englisb. to demon
strate how advantageOusly we might play
a return match against the farmers enc
mics by ourselves devOuring-wIth apprO-
pirate condiments-the destroyers of cur
crops. 1t is not to be expected that we
should do this simply as aduty, irrespec-
tive Of inclination, but we are Informed
that those who have not personally made
a trial Of insect food can hardly imagine
what a treat they have missed. Grass
hoppers deprived Ofhead. wings and legs,
Favored with pepper and salt, and fried
IN butter, are "a truly tasty mOrsel,' and
even raw they are pleasant 10 the taste,
being in this respect unlike snails, which,
when raw. are ''tast6les5. though nourtsh-
ing. but ''niGely cooked, are excellent"
As for the grubs OF the cockChaieT, which
the rocks pick up in following the pillow
try them they are delicious if fried in
Lana 80 a 81 v.ank So
ley and WlreWOrm sauce. This latter
sauce, again, is not quite so good as that
made out OF the common wood louise,
which is described as equal if not dis
tinctly superior 10 shrimp With respect
70 the pi4ODterd-Creatures beautiful
without and sweet within; nourished on
nectar, the tabled food Of the gods
by trial can one realize the delights both
In taste and smell of 4 fat moth nicely
baked. Try them, We eplcuresp" Ofuhe
common buf-tip butterfly we read at is
handsome; what is more, let me whisper
the ogreish suggestion, that its body, an
inch in length, is plump, round and sweet"
We might add indefinitely to these testi-
monies, but one more must suffice. Re-
terrlng TO the wasp grub. which some
fishes ind so irresistible. Mr.. Holt saws:
81 have myself spread the baked grubs
upon n9 bread, ana found their excellent
flavor Quite sufficient TO account for the
fOndness OF the trout for this particular
bait" Only on the subject of caterpillars
do we observe a certain hesitation and
faltering. Certain sorts are named and
recommended; but it does not appear that
any one has ever made trial of them, The
street boy picks up, plays with, and fin
ally squashes them; but the eXtraOrdi-
nary part Oft is that it never strikes him
10 taste them, though, as is well known.
boys taste almost everything. This strange
antIpathy to insect food seems almost to
drive our philosopher TO despair.
BUGS AND WORMS FOR EPICUREs.
1t is no doubt true that if the question
We're one to be settled hy abstract argu-
ment, there could be little doubt to which
side victory would incline. Chemically.
of course, all the creeping things now rec
ommended to us are compOe ed " the same
fesh-tormin9 constituents as those things
which we already eat without offense.
The test OF ''clean feeding winch we
apply TO other animals, is one which thew
eau pass triumphantiy. whilst as regards
flavor, if we only had the courage to try
well, we have the ample evidence quoted
above, the bona tides OF winch there is no
reason for doubling. The argumeutum
ad hOminem-)fm more rhetorical than 10 Il
cal value-can be brought 10 bear heavily
but effectually upon our preiudices. 1t IS
only the other day that the guurmets of
England made the acquaintance OF bird -
nest soup, and pronounced ii a distinct
acquisition. Yet, as every one knows, it
is nothing but the nest of small swallow.
constructed by the bird principally of
threads Of yiscid fluid secreted from its
mouth. The "Nisgo a la ToStuev in the
much-esteemed Chinese dinner was made
from the lOathsOme cuttie-hsh. Beche-
de-mer Is sea slug, and was relished by
hundreds OF people who would be made
absolutely i'll at the mere idea OF eating a
common garden slug. And, to come TO
our habtual dishes, Holsters and smells
are great devourers of carrion and filth:
our bacon is from the "uHclean anlmar'
OF the East; whilst for the eel, the scay-
enger Of the waters, no possible CASTRO
nOmic apology can be found. But by far
the strongest abstract argument for insect
ealing is 10 be found in a survey OF the
manners and customs Of other nations.
Locusts-1rst cousins TO the transformer
have been eaten time out Of mind. In
Morocco they are a luxury TO this dav.
fried In butter, and HerOdotus tells how
the Nasamones powdered them to make
them into cakes. Throughout Africa and
western Asia they are cooked in various
ways. turning red like Holsters when
boiled. CicadH are eaten in America and
Australia, and Aristotle speaks OF their
chrysalids as a luxury. The Romans
AaAbtAEN lpl inc Aduie great WNlie EruD.
probably that Of the stag beetle, and con-
sidered il delicacy, whilst according 20
-Eiian, dish of roasted grubs vas a
dainty dish To set before an lDdian KING.
In the West Indies at Dc present time
palm-tree grubs are greatiy priced by the
natives. Cock chafers are relished in
Java; Turkish women eat meal worms 20
produce an admirable pumpness Of form:
the Chinese, after r0bbing a cocoon Of its
SILK, FRY the chrysalis in batter OF lard.
add yelk OF egg, and season with pepper.
salt and vinegar. only the Hottentots
care Tor caterplllars; but travellers de-
scribe them when cooked as ''delicate.
nourishing and wholesome. resembling in
taste sugared cream or almond paste. -
IL Is hardly necessary 10 speak Of snails.
The Romans cultivated snails, and civil
lied Europe has by no means abandoned
the taste for them. The British Isles are
the exception; but even ia England the
habit OF eating them is not wholly extinct
the periwinkle is first cousin TO the cdi-
bic snail Of BlgnOn or the Cafe Anglais-
and certainly has a better chance OF revi-
va than most innovations in food have Of
establishing themselves.
POINTS FOR THE GNsECTARIAN.
We have so many reforms on hand lust
now, either i'm progress or suggested, in
food. drink pIgfhtnr fstl