Washington (AFP)

The cicadas singing all summer long, here is a chef who will not cry famine: with a touch of salt, seared in oil, the "cicadas", which gradually invade the United States after 17 years under land are an opportunity for unique culinary experiences.

Bun Lai, an advocate for sustainable food, invited Washington residents to a weekend insect hunt in a park followed by a free tasting of fried cicada sushi on social media.

The appearance of billions of "cicadas" in the east of the country is the opportunity for this American chef of Asian origin to discuss alternative agricultural methods and gastronomy.

"In a world in the grip of the greatest pandemic in history - which is not that of Covid but that of food-related diseases - we are going to have to adopt a revolutionary approach concerning our eating habits," he explains. he told AFP.

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The group of foodies began by collecting cicadas and edible plants under the watchful eye of Bun Lai.

The "cicadas" were then placed in a salad bowl alongside other ingredients and near a barbecue.

"Two billion people eat insects. Americans don't eat insects," notes the chef.

"But half the world thinks bugs are delicious, and they are."

Stella Roque is terrified of insects and was initially not very keen on biting cicadas.

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“For me, it's a way to overcome my phobia,” says the 36-year-old.

And she is not the only one who wants to give it a try.

Restaurants in the capital and surrounding areas now offer all kinds of food, from crispy cicada tacos to chocolate-coated cicadas for adventurous palates.

The chef seasoned the insects with salt before frying them in a large skillet.

Then the cicadas were made into sushi, rolled up in large sheets with rice and vegetables, then served for tasting.

Stella Roque, who expected the worst, said she was "pleasantly surprised".

"I was terrified when I held (the sushi) in my hand," she told AFP.

"I didn't think I would be able to eat a bug, but I really liked it and even took it back, it tasted really good."

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And for the curious, the cicadas had "a taste of nuts, very crisp", according to Ms. Roque.

© 2021 AFP