Kuwait (AFP)

Some prefer it tender, others crispy or even dried. If the locust, an insect with unsuspected nutritional properties, is considered a delicacy in Kuwait, more and more Kuwaitis, especially among the younger generation, are reluctant to eat it.

Moudi al-Miftah loves it.

"I like its taste, it brings back memories of childhood and reminds me of my grandparents and my father", tells AFP this journalist who maintains a weekly column in a local daily newspaper.

Each winter, this 64-year-old Kuwaiti says she loads up on locusts, which she cooks herself and prefers crispy.

In a pot of boiling water, she pours out a bag of locusts, which immediately turn red and fill the kitchen with a smell similar to simmered mutton.

After half an hour of cooking, they can be eaten immediately, or baked to become crisp.

She also dries it so that she can eat locusts all year round.

But most of the journalist's relatives have abandoned this practice, the origin of which is unknown.

The consumption of locusts is decreasing in Kuwait, especially among young people who, like Ali Saad, in their twenties, express their repugnance at the mere mention of eating this insect.

"I never thought of eating the locust," he says.

"Why would I eat an insect when we have all kinds of meats?"

- "like a shrimp" -

Locusts are considered a basic ingredient in the kitchens of several countries. Eating these insects is a great alternative to traditional protein sources, experts say.

In Kuwait, the locust keeps many followers among people aged between 60 and 70 years.

The first arrivals on the markets are in January, the insects being imported from Saudi Arabia in red bags of 250 grams.

They are offered alongside white desert truffles - another delicacy appreciated by Kuwaitis, picked in winter - in the Al-Raï market, nestled in an industrial area at the northwest exit of the city of Kuwait .

Abu Mohammed, 63, from Ahvaz, Iran, usually sells fish at the market. But he becomes a seller of locusts and truffles when the season starts.

"The locust is caught at night in winter (when it cannot jump or fly) and is imported from Saudi Arabia," he said.

According to him, the insect is "like a shrimp and its flesh is delectable, especially that of females which are filled with eggs". The female locust is much sought after because it is larger than the male.

Abou Mohammed says he sells ten bags a day at a unit price varying between 3 and 5 dinars (8 to 16 dollars).

"I sell some 500 bags during the season which runs from January to April," he said.

- Renewed interest -

The Kuwaiti Mohammed al-Awadi, 70, who has been trading in locusts for many years, always keeps dried insects in his pocket to bite them as soon as he wants.

Called "the king of the market", this seller engages in a demonstration swallowing a first locust, after having rid of its legs, then another and a third.

"The best food. I'm full and I don't need to eat lunch today," he says.

"The drier the more it is good (...) my father always had some in his pocket."

Authorities had tried unsuccessfully two years ago to ban the consumption of locusts, due to fears that they contain pesticides.

When they multiply, locusts form swarms that can damage crops and some countries use pesticides to stop their ravages.

Another seller, Adel Tariji, placed his merchandise in two black bags near his vehicle. Customers parade by car, examine the locusts and negotiate the price.

Mr. Tariji, who has been selling locusts since he was 18, says he has seen a revival of interest in this dish among young buyers, convinced that it is good for health and does not hesitate to pay for it. high price.

He assures that "some even make reservations, for fear that there will be no locusts next season".

© 2020 AFP