Princeton HS Students Make A Meal Of Cicadas For Research

PRINCETON, NJ — The "Brood X" Cicadas have emerged in large numbers after a 17-year-long slumber, taking over most of Princeton and West Windsor.

While some are marveling at nature’s spectacle, others just want to be rid of them. But there’s a third group — those who are keen to stick a fork in them.

Students and teachers from Princeton High School’s Research Program are embarking on a journey to find out how these cacophonous insects taste. They plan to take the red-eyed bugs and turn them into dinner this Saturday.

“Sustainable living and insect-eating have been an interest of mine,” said Mark Eastburn, co-teacher at the program.

A few years ago, Eastburn met students Matthew Livingston and Mulin Huan who showed similar interests. Together they formed the Princeton High School Insect-Eating Club. The group had been planning to study the emergence of cicadas since 2019.

“We were able to organize this whole cicada eating project, as a way of promoting sustainability and also as a way of spreading the word about this tremendous phenomenon,” said Eastburn.

Cicada eating is not a novel concept. They are part of a rich culinary tradition in many cultures across the globe including indigenous populations. Edible insect advocates consider them a rich source of protein, high in fiber and low in fat.

“We had a researcher from Rutgers University come and say that the human diet up until about 10,000 years ago, was mostly eating insects because they were nutritious,” Eastburn said.

“You just have to get over this cultural bias, especially in the United States, that bug-eating is gross.”

Eastburn points out that during Colonial times, lobsters were considered repulsive and were fed only to prisoners. “Nowadays it’s a delicacy.”

The club will have its first cicada eating event on Saturday at a student’s home with 15 people in attendance.

To prepare for the cicada dinner, students and teachers have been gathering recipes and trying them out at home. According to researchers, the best time to cook them is in the evening or at night.

On the menu will be chocolate-covered cicadas, cicadas roasted on skewers, cicadas with soy sauce spices and ginger, deep-fried cicadas, and more.

After the dinner, students will work on gauging the nutritional value of the insects.

“Matthew has been able to make some contacts with Rutgers University and the Food Science Department. So, they have the instruments that we'll need for some of the nutritional analysis,” Eastburn said.

The research group also hopes to publish its findings.

“We've actually connected with some researchers at Rutgers University, as a result of this research program. And they've been conversing with us about potential projects,” said Eastburn.

The research group is also planning to process the cicadas for their oil.

“It is supposed to rival palm oil for cooking. So, we're going to experiment with that as a food additive,” said Eastburn.

The teacher hopes this project will help people appreciate this "spectacular phenomenon.” For him, the cicada recipes and dinner is not as important as getting people to simply try it out.

“Princeton is a major historical site with a world-class research institution and university. Once in a while nature comes in and shows her glory. We should not be grossed out about it. Instead, we should celebrate it.”

Eastburn is keen to educate the public on cicadas. Anyone wishing to learn more about the project can email the teacher at markeastburn@princetonk12.org.

You can also follow the student’s research program on Instagram: @phsresearch, Twitter: @phsresearch, and Facebook: @phsresearch.

They also have a YouTube channel and videos will be up by this weekend.

Thank you for reading. Have a correction or news tip? Email sarah.salvadore@patch.com

Get breaking news alerts on your phone with our app. Download here. Sign up to get Patch emails so you don't miss out on local and statewide news.