THE GRASSHOPPER AS FOOD.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume III, Issue 152, 31 March 1876, Page 14

THE GRASSHOPPER AS FOOD.

4-f A late number of the ' Agriculturist' contains the following : — : "In this number of the ' Agriculturalist' is a notice of the ' seventh report of our esteemed correspondent, Prof. C. V. Riley, as . State Entomologist of Missouri, especially with reference to that part of the report which treats of the locust or grasshopper. In that article it is stated that the author will find few ready to adopt his suggestion to tise the insect as food. A few days after that portion of the paper was made vp 5 we had the pleasure of a visit from Prof. Riley, who was on his way to Europe for a short vacation, and he assured us that the locust had actually appeared at dinner, ' not where he eats, but where he is eaten.' Our friend is a very thorough man, and is not one to point out the way, but to lead it, and ha .-ing advised people to eat hoppers, he at once set the example. A few bushels of hoppers were procured, and placed in charge of one of the best caterers in St. Louis to be served. A number of scientific gentlemen were invited, and a dinner was set forth, at which the lively locust formed the sole animal. Martyrs to science, some may think, but so far from this being the case, it was a feast that the veriest epicures might envy, Prof. Riley's vivid description of it fairly made our mouth water and half inclined us to wish that nature did not prevent a visit of these much eating and more eatable articulata to the less favored shores of the Atlantic. While our friend cannot say that he 'hankers after' the raw hopper, just cook it, and frogs, terrapins, shrimps, and even the luscious oyster, must give precedence to caloptenus, which all must admit is a much better table name for the delicacy than hopper, or even locust. These men of science began with valopienus soup, so fine that, against all the rules of etiquette, they

asked for more, then came hopper fritters, vastly better than any oyster fritters, anJ so on with roast, boiled and fried, and stewed, of the same, e.ieh better than the last, until the climax of the feast was reached in locusts served with honey. This last dish convinced those present that even in Scripture times they knew something about luxurious living. It has often been said that the man who ate the first oyster was a man of remarkable courage, though his i name is lost to history, but in future times, when locusts shall be sold in our markets by the dozen, and laws are passed for the better preservation of this ' valuable game,' posterity will remember Biley and his associates, as the first Americans who entertained 1 the locust at dinner. All levity aside, why not eat insects ? These locusts feed on the fat of the land, and why should we not in turn eat them ? It is against our prejudices, but when we coolly consider the matter the locust is really no more repulsive than a shrimp or even an oyster, and that they are really acceptable to the palate, these gentlemen enthusiastically declare. To ouv notion, Prof. Riley and iis guests did a really good thing. In portions of Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, and elsewhere, people were actually suffering with hunger, with all the while untold quantities of food around them — not only food which will sustain life, but of a remarkably palatable kind, and whatever jocular remarks may be made about this hopper dinner, we think the gentlemen who partook of it did an eminently good work, and one which in future years may prevent much suffering."