Fun and Food

January 6, 2000

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Sexy^^eyes: Why did you start eating bugs?

David Gordon: I started eating bugs because it was different, fun and I discovered that it was tasty. In the U.S., we don't worry so much about getting protein. Bugs are pretty new. I've always been open to trying new things. I eat raw oysters on the half shell, don't you? When kids tease me about eating bugs I tell them, "You probably eat hot dogs which are way weirder."

Fallenangel1000: Do you eat worms too, or just bugs?

David Gordon: In my book, I really only look at land arthropods. That includes insects, spiders, and centipedes but no worms. I have recipes for mealworms and wax worms but those aren't really worms, they're baby insects. I found that by marinating them in lemon juice, it gets rid of some of that taste.

Fallenangel1000: Okay, thanks.

CARTSTEALER: Did you eat other things on the island, and what island were you on?

David Gordon: I wasn't on an island. I live on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington. I don't eat bugs because I have to but because I want to.

CARTSTEALER: I thought you said you were on an island, sorry I misread things.

Leegbu: Did you eat bugs when you were a kid?

David Gordon: No I didn't eat bugs when I was a kid, but I had a neighbor who would eat slugs for a dollar. I personally remember giving him 3 bucks. We're not talking about grub eating here. My book is about entomological epicures. In the back of the "Eat a Bug Cookbook" I have a list of places where you can order the bugs. You can buy a box of 3000 crickets for about 30 dollars. It's the entertainment value of the century. They come live but I march them right into the freezer. All arthropods are cold blooded, so by lowering the temperature, they get slower and slower and eventually fall asleep and they just don't wake up.

El Musician: Have you ever gotten sick? If so, from which bug?

David Gordon: The only time I felt even remotely weird from eating bugs, I had a group of Japanese journalists come visit me. They brought their own bugs-- grasshoppers in Teriyaki sauce. They were really delicious, but I ate too many of them. The next morning I woke up and my stomach felt like I had eaten one too many grasshoppers!

Leegbu: If we all died of famine, I guess you be the only one to survive?

David Gordon: I would be eating the Y2K bug!

Fallenangel1000: Can I grow my own bugs so I know they are organic?

David Gordon: Sure you can. Crickets are really easy to rear and you can find lots of instructions on the Internet on how to set up a cricket tank. If you are really lucky, you will have a rotting log in your backyard to collect termites.

Fallenangel1000: Thank you.

Wf-slowdog: Are the crickets purchased for cooking the same ones as the ones sold to feed snakes and mice?

David Gordon: Yes, they are. You can buy them at pet stores. They are actually called European house crickets. They taste different than wild crickets. They don't belong in the U.S., but they are a lot easier to rear.

Wf-slowdog: Thanks, David.

David Gordon: In China there are actually scorpion ranches. They rear hundreds and hundreds of scorpions and serve them in restaurants. Don't try this at home! I actually buy my scorpions from a livestock supplier and the box is marked "live harmless invertebrates." That must make the postman happier.

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