Eating Crickets

I saw an episode of Ellen the other day; Salma Hayak was sharing what she called a traditional Mexican delicacy – fried crickets! I stood in front of the television in horror as she took a tortilla, spread sour cream, guacamole, and salsa on it, then covered the tortilla with fried crickets, rolled it up, and took a huge chunk out of it. After much cajoling, she even got Ellen to try it. It was the most revolting thing I ever saw!

My daughter, Sweet Pea, spent six weeks in Uganda, Africa on a mission trip several years ago. She told stories of huge termite mounds several feet tall. The locals get really excited about those because termites are a delicacy there!

Sweet Pea also went with a group from college to Spain, and attended a buffet one evening. It wasn’t until AFTER dinner was over that she learned she had eaten dog. She is still not over that.

We went out to eat with some friends to a fancy restaurant. They ordered the French delicacy, escargot…that’s snails to you and me. As they dug around in those little snail shells with their little snail skewers, I could not help but stare. Snails look just as slimy cooked and on a plate as they do inching around my flower bed!

I ate squirrel once in Arkansas. Tasted like chicken.

I ate turtle soup once in New Orleans. It actually tasted like vegetable beef soup.

I ate armadillo chili once in New Mexico. Tasted like regular chili to me.

So what is that makes some foods appetizing and other foods revolting, without even trying them? I can eat cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys, and even the occasional lamb. I would even eat deer, snake, duck or rabbit if one were killed, prepared, and cooked (without my knowledge) and just appeared at my dinner table.

I cannot, however, eat a horse, dog, cat, rodent (except for the above-mentioned squirrel), goat, monkey, or any other zoo animal or household pet. I also draw the line at insects. I did swallow a gnat once while jogging. Didn’t taste like anything, but I tried to cough it up, nevertheless.

I think of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah who were among the young men of Judah commanded by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, to train for three years to enter the king’s service. The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. Daniel took one look at the food and resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, since ceremonially unclean animals were used that were neither slaughtered nor prepared according to the regulations of the law. Daniel was merely demonstrating the courage of his convictions (Daniel 1:6-16).

For me, it is a culture thing. I was raised to eat certain foods and disdain others. It takes great courage for me to eat an animal I have not eaten before, but some are completely off limits.

What is the strangest thing you have ever eaten?