Would you Cook and Eat Cicadas?

The 17 year cicadas are back in Arlington Virginia... the locals said you can eat them?? so I gave it a go.
Let us know in the comments if you have tried something similar... or if you think this is crazy!

[@averykempf9164]

I have done this before: back in 2004 when I was 11 I captured a quantity of cicadas and talked my mom in to cooking them.

[@xiaoxiongtian]

In our hometown in central China, we used to collect and cook them in summer time when they just emerged from earth

[@HankProductions]

Nice! I got mine straight out also so they were nice and soft still... thanks for watching.

[@imthedudeman77]

It looks like you ate it while it was still in its nymph stage. I plan on trying them this year, but the approach I've heard is to collect them right after they've emerged from their nymph shell while they're still soft and white and stick them in the freezer to kill them humanely. Remove the wings and legs. Boil them to firm up the insides. Then you can fry, stir fry, bake, grill, etc. and they will have a better consistency.

[@HankProductions]

Thanks Dan! Yeah that all sounds like a good plan. The boiling to firm up insides is interesting... there isn’t much too them and when I fried them up the insides firmed up anyway. Good luck! Would love to hear how you go when you have a go.

[@keithschreiber2591]

I'm from Pennsylvania and when the cicadas were out here I ate them raw...in salads, soups. They taste great

[@noelsingletary]

Chocolate covered cicadas on a skewer. 😂

[@splashlog9822]

You werent exactly tearing em up hshaha

[@TshimangaJames]

You forgot hot peepers. Seriously insects do really well when spicy.

[@peterandreassen5838]

Another video from you Hanks which has put the absolute biggest smile on my face. 😊🙏🇦🇺💝 You are all such absolutely lovely people. I pray that one day I am absolutely able to meet you all in person. And to answer your question, I absolutely have never consumed anything like this. ~ Peter in Cairns, Queensland, Australia

[@HankProductions]

Thanks again for your kind comments Peter!

[@kingjeyyy]

Also living in Northern VA, amateur KZbinr here as well, and I’ve also been collecting cicadas to cook! I have awesome recipes for you. But the first critique I have, please WASH your cicadas before you cook them! Like you said, they’ve been in the ground for 17 years so they got dirt all over them! I like to wash them about 5 times, then blanch them in hot water to kill them off and clean them. Then I roast them in the oven for a bit to dry them off. Then I toss it in the hot pan with a bit of oil, dry chili, salt and sugar, and seasonings. It comes out like Bar nuts. If you’re open to it maybe we could do a collab!

[@HankProductions]

Hey man, thanks for watching! Washing is not really too much of a concern for me as the heat would kill anything too bad... couldn’t taste any dirt over the flavor of the butter and garlic 😂... I’ll hit subscribe on your channel to support you along to 1000! Might see you around DC one day

[@kr639]

Dirt equals probiotics

[@kingjeyyy]

@@kr639 lol if you say so!

[@kingjeyyy]

@@HankProductions Thanks! I went out foraging for more cicada nymphs tonight and got about 3 pounds worth. The other day I roasted some in the oven with olive oil salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper, and then tossed it into Mac N Cheese. It was delicious!

[@JimDaneker]

Did you rinse them first? Just curious as they just came out of the dirt! Also, you owe it to yourself to use fresh chopped garlic - WAY better than squeezing it out of a tube! Cheers - I'm looking forward to ours emerging, and I may give it a shot 😁

[@HankProductions]

Hey Jim, I did give them a rinse… and I absolutely agree that fresh garlic would have been much better!! Haha 🤣 good luck.

[@hyndy73]

That is pretty crazy mate, but I guess they are nice and fresh. If you timed it right you could do a recipe with wild mushrooms and ramp whilst on a hike in the Shenandoah NP... None seen here in Charlottesville yet.

[@HankProductions]

A mix in with mushrooms sounds like a nice addition. And probably less butter... looking back at this I was horrified to see how much I used 😂

[@mariolab2891]

Wow firstly I wanted to throw up the entire time! BUT can I just say your presentation and editing skills are amazing! I felt like I was watching Better Homes and Gardens. And lastly, RIP little guys 😭

[@HankProductions]

Haha! Thanks for putting up with the grossness and watching 😊 always love your comments. Hope the family is well!

[@sisoukirby]

I love to cook and eat cicadas chips 👋😃

[@HankProductions]

Nice!! Sounds interesting!! Thanks for watching and letting me know your style.

[@splashlog9822]

Gross bro

[@HankProductions]

But the question is... would you try... even for a dare?

[@panduekaprayoga2362]

Hi Dave...long time no see, mate. So you're now an extreme food lover? hihihi..you should try grasshopper, snail and worms sometimes..please come here..😋

[@HankProductions]

Pak Pandu, good to hear from you! I would love to come back to your country 🇮🇩... one day my friend and you can show me more of your beautiful culture. I wish you and your family safety and happiness.

[@bazingabigbong9065]

Would they be good dipped in chocolate?

[@HankProductions]

Probably... but I think I’m done. I volunteered to try one raw today and they are much nicer cooked! Lucky I had a beer to wash that one down with. Thanks for watching!

[@bazingabigbong9065]

@@HankProductions I'll pass on the raw one, but I will definitely give your fried ones a try. I am a sucker for anything fried in garlic and butter.

[@yusukelee9590]

Was the beer fosters

[@HankProductions]

@@yusukelee9590 haha! No... although Australian I much enjoy the taste of an American west coast IPA these days.

[@splashlog9822]

Cant be that good I ain't mixing bugs in my Mac and cheese I stick with chicken and tuna hahaha

[@HankProductions]

I agree! They certainly wouldn’t work in a Mac and Cheese 😂... I tried one raw as well... needs to be cooked. The garlic and butter really is the key. Thanks for watching

[@jojo9218]

He’s crazy 🤨

[@doloresdrury8018]

Why did you cook them alive?

[@cate01a]

my guess is he doesnt recognise insects as worthy for mercy, which i reckon fair enough which is to say that in theory insects are so stupid that they are unable to suffer

[@PerthComics]

Eat more!

[@HankProductions]

Haha... no. Unless there was a world food shortage that was enough 😂

[@cate01a]

@@HankProductions strange, because in the video you'd think you found them to be bloody good eating no shame in saying "oh, these arent the worst, but i'd only take these if there was nothing else" feels inauthentic and useless if you're yapping and lying about how great your cooking is

[@HankProductions]

@@cate01a just playing around… it’s Australian humor. In the end you are absolutely correct that I could have said that. Would have been much more accurate!! Thanks for watching anyway 😊

[@bradjohn9373]

Never

[@HankProductions]

Thanks for watching Brad.

[@wildkeith]

You burned the garlic

[@HankProductions]

Yes, yes I did. Got caught up in the moment. Good pick up.

[@rdubw8904]

yep; you're crazy

[@HankProductions]

Haha, glad someone said it... was pretty crazy. What is more crazy is the amount of people that have reached out and actually want to do it themselves!

[@gregwood1775]

F that … dirty

[@arrowen39]

Geez you need to wash them first!!

[@sisoukirby]

No you not crazy you know it is good for 🤪🤪🤪👌👍

[@HankProductions]

I did research to make sure it was not bad to eat. Scientists have studies the benefits of eating them (and other insects) and it has many benefits. Thanks again for watching. I hope I can get your subscription.

[@sisoukirby]

Thank you brother I hope people see my KZbin channel too 😃❤️🙏✌️

[@rickroth2188]

@@sisoukirby checking it out now

[@sisoukirby]

Yes I still have cicadas video

[@eliaslinares366]

Tell me you washed them first 😅

[@HankProductions]

Nope, fresh from the ground. The heat from the cooking would have killed any germs. All good!! Didn’t get sick 🤮... thanks for watching!! Would you do the same?

[@Emma-lf5jg]

@@HankProductions Nope. I’d freeze to kill, remove wings, probably legs too, and wash them. Just seems so raw and savage done your way 😂

[@bugenthusiast8892]

I don't think its gross, I just think it ain't right, like eating dogs. Cicadas are my favorite animal😭😭😭.

[@HankProductions]

I am sorry... the 10 that I conducted this experiment with were not wasted. Put back into the circle of life. If I didn’t eat them, I am sure another animal would have swept it up. I too found them fascinating and I appreciated the ability to study them closely. Where do you live in the world and do you have these same ones?

[@kr639]

Well that’s definitely not real butter

[@HankProductions]

Keith, so true!! Tastes ok but definitely not what we are used to in Australia. What part of the world are you from?

[@kr639]

Real butter isn't spreadable bud. Ghee could be but any spreadable butter will have some form of oil such as canola in it.

[@mrmojorising4877]

How about stop tapping on the damn pan

[@HankProductions]

Thanks Mike! It’s my cooking style... do you have any annoying habits? Appreciate you watching. Dave.

[@mrmojorising4877]

@@HankProductions um no annoying cooking habits that I can think of but I have baked some cicadas wrapped in bacon was pretty damn good also so you should try it out lmk what you think

[@HankProductions]

Haha, I think anything wrapped in bacon is delicious 😂 cheers mate.

[@ellenlewis9860]

Mike doesn't have any annoying habits. Except being a bit of a dick.

[@shashanktripathi4309]

@@ellenlewis9860 😂