Hopper Hunting

When I was a kid I snacked on bagels.  Bagels covered with orange squares of American cheese melted in a toaster oven. Bagels with Pizza Quick sauce and a slice of rubbery mozzarella. (A bagel with a smear of cream cheese was breakfast)  Hummus and triangles of pita. I ate meat too.  Mini kosher hotdogs dipped in mustard.  I never considered insects.  I thought of insects as annoying (mosquitos) or obnoxious (green flies).
My childhood fell during the era of the mosquito zapper.  Warm weather brought the zappers out of storage and into suburban yards where they hung on the back porch.  Who could forget the zapping sound and the scent of burning insects.  No, I would not have considered eating insects.
Recently, my friend, Cooper, caused me to reconsider my preconceptions when he introduced me to one of his favorite snack foods: grasshoppers.
Cooper invited us over for Grasshopper hunting.  At age seven, he is an experienced insect hunter and excellent company.  When we came to his house, he explained that all you need is a bow and arrow (with a rubber tip) and a field with tall grasses.  He taught us to stalk the hoppers, shoot them and pull their heads off.

I couldn't help but observe that patience helps because it takes time to find the hoppers.  It took an hour and a half to catch a dozen.  

This snack food is ideally for a kid who owns a bow and possesses an adventurous palette, just like Cooper.  How do they taste?  According to my daughter, they taste like turkey.  To me they taste like shrimp flavored popcorn.

Fried Grasshoppers

2 dozen grasshoppers, heads removed
2 T canola oil
salt and pepper
juice from half a lime
ketchup for dipping

Heat the oil in a frying pan so that it is sizzling. Add the hoppers and fry them to that they are crispy, but not burned.

Remove the hoppers and blot the oil on a paper towel.

Put them in a bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Spritz lime juice on top. If you wish you can dip them in ketchup. Enjoy!