Sunday, November 21, 2004

Locusts, yum! - II



The locusts have officially arrived, not via Cyprus as first expected, but via Egypt and the Sinai desert. They have "conquered" Eilat, reads the headline in Ma'ariv:



Locust swarms "conquer" Eilat



After they were driven from the agricultural areas of the Negev, the insects turned towards the city. "Eilat is under attack, we are fighting valiantly," say residents. Assessment: The "foreign tourists" will stay in town for the next few days.






Don't worry, though; aerial pesticide spraying is expected to keep the invasion under control.





Regarding the kashrut question, Dr. Zohar Amar of Bar Ilan University summarized the halachic debate over locusts in this 1999 essay.



Ma'ariv religion columnist Avishai Ben-Chaim quotes Yemenite Rabbi Shlomo Amram Korach from Bnei Brak, who notes that the kosher status of the current wave of locusts would have to be checked; this is difficult since most Jewish communities stopped eating locusts decades ago. Regardless, Ben-Chaim offers kosher recipes:



For immediate consumption, place live locusts in a pot of boiling oil and fry until crispy.




Or try this tasty dish:



Locust Skewers



Ingredients: Locusts, salt, paprika, olive oil.

Directions: First, rinse locusts well. Then skewer them and sprinkle with salt. Season with paprika and add a bit of olive oil. Finally, roast the skewers over a flame or in the oven until the locusts become crispy and yellow.




Mmm.... I think I'll stick with chicken....

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