Experts say locusts are excellent, energy-efficient source of protein Locusts boiled, baked or dried? Kuwait serves up a swarm

Kuwait City, Feb. 2: Some people like them baked, others prefer them dried. Locusts are surprisingly nutritious and considered a delicacy by many in Kuwait but not everyone is enamoured by the crunchy culinary offering.

“I love their flavour, it’s one of my memories of childhood and reminds me of my grandparents and my father,” enthused Moudi al-Miftah, a 64-yearold journalist who writes a weekly newspaper column. Miftah awaits winter every year to stock up on locusts, which she cooks herself, with a preference for crispiness.

In her kitchen, she tipped a bag of the insects into boiling stock where they quickly turned red, filling her kitchen with an aroma similar to stewing mutton. After simmering for half an hour, the locusts are ready to eat but they can be baked for added crunch, or dried so they can be enjoyed year-round. But most of Miftah’s loved ones stopped eating the bugs long ago.

Locust consumption is

■ dwindling across Kuwaiti society, particularly among the younger generation, many of whom are disgusted by the prospect. Ali Saad, a man in his twenties who was shopping for groceries, was visibly repulsed by the idea of snacking on insects. “I've never thought of eating locusts,” he said. “Why would I eat an insect when we have all kinds of red and white meats?” Locusts are consumed in many parts of the world and are a staple of some cuisines. Experts say they are an excellent, energyefficient source of protein.

In Kuwait, they retain a sturdy fan base among older citizens. The first shipments, imported from Saudi Arabia, arrive in markets in January, transported in distinctive red bags weighing 250 grams (nine ounces). They are stocked alongside white desert truffles, another delicacy sought by Kuwaitis in winter at the Al-Rai market nestled in an industrial area in the northwest of Kuwait City. Abou Mohammed, 63, is originally from Ahvaz in Iran and normally sells fish at the market. But when the season arrives, he becomes a locust and truffle salesman. “The locusts are caught during the winter nights (when they are not flying) and we import them from Saudi Arabia,” he said. —AFP

A group of desert locusts mate on the ground in Nasuulu Conservancy of northern Kenya.

—AP