How to Survive the Relentless Cicada Swarm in New Haven: Eat Them (Recipes)

After 17 years of lurking beneath the ground, cicadas are popping out of the dirt like six-legged daisies. Millions of these insects will eventually infest yards all along the East Coast. Now, there's only one thing that we can do to stop the relentless swarm: eat them.

For most people, these cicadas represent a nuisance. They're loud, they're everywhere and you'll probably have to deal with cleaning up their dead bodies after their frenzy of mating and breeding over the course of several weeks.

Yet a New Haven chef has decided that the best way to deal with the cicadas is not to ignore them, but instead to prepare them in a meal. Bun Lai, owner of Miya's Sushi and one of the city's best known chefs, plans to harvest the Brood II cicadas in order to cook up batches of them for himself and select customers.

"I plan to get a big freezer for them," said Lai in an interview with the New Haven Register. "I'm going to catch a whole bunch of them and preserve them for future eating. I plan on eating a whole bunch of them myself."

The cicadas are actually part of a massive brood, known as Magicicada Brood II. This particular group of cicadas emerges just once every 17 years, though there's another population that pops out of the ground once every 13 years.  Some researchers believe that these differing cycles make it more difficult for predators to expect the onslaught of insects, which allows the cicadas in turn to better avoid being eaten. Another theory suggests that the cycles allow the insects to avoid parasites, which may have a two-year cycle and could mean that the cicadas and parasites would only "meet" twice each century.

If the thought of eating these creatures makes you cringe, though, think again. Cicadas are gluten-free, protein-rich and surprisingly healthy. The meatier, young female cicadas taste the best, according to insect connoisseurs; the best time to harvest these creatures is right after they've shed the exoskeleton from their wingless, nymph form.

Lai actually has come up with some surprisingly tasty ideas when it comes to preparing these insects, as well. He plans to steam some cicadas with ground spices and herbs--similar to what you do to prepare Maryland crabs. He also plans to do a cicada boil with spices and herbs.

Don't worry about the infestation of cicadas. Instead, eat up! After all, you won't get another chance to taste this brood for another 17 years.

Want some cicada recipes? You can check them out here.