The Washington times., 1902-06-23
.LOCUSHS AS FOOD
IN VARIOUS PLACES
History Replete With Stories
of Such Usage.
NOT STRENGTH GIVING
Races Whose Diet Is Composed of In
sects Grow Indolent and Are of Short
Life-Not Natural or Wholesome
Diet.

EXpatiating on the good and bad Queli-
ties of fried. fricasseed and boiled To-
Gusts, scientist of the Agricultural De-
partment gave expression to his views
the other day in the following manner:
1T is easy to imagine that in circurn
| stances OF extreme distress and scarcity
of food man may be driven to make
use of expedients for appeasing his hun
ger that al other times would fill him
with disgust But 1t certainly does ex-
cite surprise when we find that through
a mere love of novelty. or for the sake
of gratifying pampered appetite, the
epicure will sometimes select articles
of diet which would seem equally
strange and revolving to well-regula:ed
taste. Thus the Roman epicures were
very fond of eating the cossus. or worm
of the oak. accounting it one of their
! greatest Gainties; and thus also at the
luxurious tables of West Indian eplcures.
| particularly the French, the caterpillar
or maggot of the palm tree is served
up as the most inviting morsel of the
Western World.
Now let me tell you something about
the use of locrsts as a delicacy. The
use of Nle locust as food is established
by tie testimony OF the earliest histo-
rians and travellers. From the period
CT that express permission given in the
Scriptures, Levitt. xi:22. to eat the locust
after It's kind, down to the present
time. this insect appears to have formed
an important article of food in many
parts OF the East. There is, therefore.
little rearon for endeavoring to explain
away. ?s some writer's have done. the
simple announcement of Scripture tha.
the meat of st. John in the Wilder
ness consisted of 'locusts and wild
hcnev'
Though not very nutritious diet, the
locust is wholesome, and tolerably pala-
table Some of the ancient authors. In
describing this kind OF food. give mar
velous accounts both Of the insect itself
and of its effects on those who fed
on it.
Locrsts Three Feet Lorg.
"Pliny states that the locusts of India
are three feet long. and that their dried
legs and thighs are used by the people
as saws. Diodorus Siculus. speaking Of
the Ac-idophagi. or locust eaters OF
Ethiopia, says that they lived only forty
years, for that insects with wings were
generated under the skin. causing in
tolerable feelings. and the sufferer hav-
ing torn them out with his nails. at last
died in miserable tortu-es. Herodotus
describes the locust as being dried In
the sun. ground to powder, and eaten
with milk by the Nasamones, nation
of Libya.
'It is we'll known" continued the sci |
enlist, "that in Persia Arabia, Syria |
Egypt, Be rbary, Ethiopia. and even in I
some of the southern countries OF Eu- |
rope, locusts have been and are still |
eaten. In some places they are fried |
until the wings and legs drop off, and |
In that state are sold in the markets, |
and are eaten with rice and dates some |
times favored with salt and spices. In |
others they are broiled or baked in an /
earthen pan, being caught for that pur-
pose in large numbers in nets. In the |
markets 10 Arabia. salted locusts are |
common. But the methods OF cooking |
the insects are various. They are
ground in hand mills. made into cakes,
and baked; or they are broiled, boiled
in milk, fried in OIL or roasted alive.
Taste Like Crawfsh.
when fried they turn reddish color
like shTimps, and taste like crawfsh.
While in Persia. Sir John Chardin saw
clouds. Pro1igious numbers, and of very
large size. fell to the ground. and the
peasants gathered them up, dried and
salted them. and used them as common
food This was in March, and the peo-
pie told him that at that season such
clouds apcared almost every evening
I'm scme parts OF Bombay the locusts
goracious. In Morocco they are said
% be so highly esteemed that the price
If provisions falls when Iocusis have
arrived in the neighborhood. The CAL
nucks do not use them as food, but
hey prize highly the antelopes. sheep.
ind other animals which have been fet-
ened upon them. The wolves seldom
IT never attack the fiocks of the CAL
nucks when the locusts are at hand to
iDpeaSt lnelT hunger. AT SdTepta SONS
logs became unusually fat by having
ed for some time entirely upon dead
ocusts which had been drowned In the
yolga ard thrown in heaps upon the
hore
THE Hottentots and Bushmen esteem
he locust most highly when plump and
ull of eggs; they make a brown soup
# them, and appear to thrive on this
'iet.
Not Ve-y Nutritious.
But although locusts are esteemed
IS excellent food by nations whose sup
,lies Of provisions are not always
bundant, yet 1t does not appear that
hey are nutritious enough to support
he constitution for any considerable
ime in a state of vigor. 1t is said that
hose who feed almost entirely upon
hem become at last very thin, weak and
ndolent In this state of health they
re evidently predisposed to a complaint
Ghich is said TO arise from the pesti-
ential effuvia of those insects when
hey swarm in any country and lie long
pol the ground.
Thus it appears that IL various spe-
les of insects are used as food by man
ind, the custom is comparatively 50
are, and the circumstances under
'hich II is prevalent are so peculiar.
nd In most cases SO evidently arise out
the low scale of civilization and con-