Trillions of Cicadas Are Coming! Should We Start Eating Them?

Periodical Cicada, Adult, Magicicada spp. Requires 17 years to complete development. Nymph splits its skin, and transforms into an adult. Feeds on sap of tree roots. Northern Illinois Brood. This brood is the largest emergence of cicadas anywhere

Trillions of cicadas are bout to rise up from the ground and swarm the eastern U.S. So here's a gross question: Should we start EATING THEM?

Every 17 years, the cicada boom offers a huge boost to the food chain from the bottom up. But in general, we don't directly take part in the delicious cicada action.

But maybe we should, because a surprising number of people are up for it.

Someone polled 35,000 Americans, and one in four said they'd give cicada-based food a shot. That includes 9% who are VERY willing to do it.

Another 13% said probably not, but maybe . . . 44% said no way . . . 15% weren't sure . . . and one in 50 Americans have ALREADY eaten cicadas.

Men were 50% more likely than women to say they'd give it a try. And young people were more likely to say yes than older people.

28% also said they'd be up for trying SOME sort of insect-based food. And a third of us think nsects as food will become a bigger trend in the next ten years. 

Ew.

(YouGov)


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