Jerusalem – In the last few days, a devastating plague of locusts, numbering in the tens of millions, has been sweeping across Egypt. In Israel, the Ministry of Agriculture is on full alert. A special hotline has been set up, and the pesticides have been prepared.
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Hopefully, modern agricultural technology will help us avoid disasters such as that of 1915, when a plague of locusts in Israel led to much tragedy.
Meanwhile, I have my own early warning system – a friend on military duty near the Egyptian border has promised to call me if swarms arrive. I’d love to see it first-hand, and to catch a couple of hundred to feed to my reptile collection – and to eat myself.
It is commonly overlooked that not only does the Torah permit man to eat certain mammals, birds and fish, but it even permits him to eat certain insects – namely, several types of locusts. The identification of the kosher varieties was lost amongst European Jews, who were not exposed to locust swarms. But Jews from North Africa maintained a tradition regarding kosher locusts.
The expert on identifying kosher species today is my colleague Dr. Zohar Amar, author of Ha-Arbeh b’Mesoret Yisrael. He has identified the species for which there is the most widespread tradition amongst North African Jews as Schistocercia gregaria, the Egyptian desert locust. This is by far the most common species of locust, and it is the species currently swarming in Egypt.
According to many authorities in Jewish law, even Ashkenazi Jews can adopt the North African tradition. This is because it is different from a situation such as that which existed with the stork, where certain communities had a tradition that it was a kosher bird, while others had a tradition that it was a non-kosher bird. With locusts, there is no tradition in Ashkenaz against these types of locusts being kosher; Ashkenazim simply lack a tradition either way. Therefore, according to many authorities, such as the late Rabbi Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg, it is possible to rely upon the North African tradition regarding kosher varieties.
I have eaten locusts on several occasions. They do not require a special form of slaughter, and one usually kills them by dropping them into boiling water. They can be cooked in a variety of ways – lacking any particular culinary skills, I usually just fry them with oil and some spices. (My wife, however, insists that I do not use her kitchen utensils for the task; she is locust-intolerant.) It’s not the taste that is distinctive, so much as the tactile experience of eating a bug – crunchy on the outside with a chewy center!
The rationale for certain locusts being kosher may be a practical matter – when your crops are wiped out by locusts, at least you’re not left with nothing to eat! But in modern Western society, eating bugs simply grosses out most people. Many probably see the Torah’s laws of kosher locusts as a relic from a primitive, barbaric era. Yet an article in The New Yorker magazine (August 2011) noted that in a world with a burgeoning population of billions, insects provide a much more efficient and environmentally-friendly source of protein, amongst other benefits:
“”””From an ecological perspective, insects have a lot to recommend them. They are renowned for their small ‘foodprint’; being cold-blooded, they are about four time as efficient at converting feed to meat as are cattle, which waste energy keeping themselves warm. Ounce for ounce, many have the same amount of protein as beef–friendly grasshoppers have three times as much – and are rich in micronutrients like iron and zinc. Genetically, they are so distant from humans that there is little likelihood of diseases jumping species, as swine flu did. They are natural recyclers, capable of eating old cardboard, manure, and by-products from food manufacturing. And insect husbandry is humane: bugs like teeming, and thrive in filthy, crowded conditions.“”””
Can you imagine what an impact it would make if Jews were known not for exploiting animals in factory-farming and indulging in massive gastronomic excesses, but instead for adopting a more environmentally and animal-friendly approach? In fact, eating locusts doesn’t even make you fleishig, so you could have a locust cheeseburger. I say, let’s get back to our Biblical roots and tuck in. Bon appétit!
Rabbi Natan Slifkin is the author of a number of works on the interface between Judaism, zoology, and the natural sciences; He is currently writing The Torah Encyclopedia of the Animal Kingdom and developing The Jewish Museum of Natural History His web site can be visited here
“It’s not the taste that is distinctive, so much as the tactile experience of eating a bug – crunchy on the outside with a chewy center!”
Cover it with chocolate and it’s not too far from a Twix bar. 😀
Makes perfect sense. Overcoming sales resistance is the big problem. Besides, if you have enough locusts to eat they’ve probably eaten everything else
I like to think of myself as an adventurous eater and I know they are kosher, but I just don’t think I can get over the conditioning, the same way I just can’t eat a “cheeseburger” with pareve “cheese”. For those of you who can, עס געזונטערהײט
If you’ll excuse me, I think I need to vomit right now.
OK!!! I hope you enjoy them..as for me I will stick to a nice big red crunchy juicy steak!!
I will ask me rabbi he is sefard
I cant wait to try some! Please Rabbi Slifkin – save some for me!
While it may be mutar under some exotic hashgachos, there is not a single Chassideshe hashgacha that would approve eating any kind of locust under any conditions. It is simply assur to any bnai torah who will obviously not eat any foods unless approved by the top of the line chassideshe hasghachos, which are the only ones to be relied upon. I don’t ever anticipate seeing a locust with a “glatt” plumba.
“crunchy on the outside with a chewy center!”
I’ll stick with Fig Newtons, thank you.
If the OU gives the hechsher for it, I’ll try it!
“According to many authorities in Jewish law, even Ashkenazi Jews can adopt the North African tradition.”
In ‘ש”ע יורה דעה סימן פ”ה סעיף א after the סימנים are listed, the מחבר, who of course was a ספרדי, stated:
ואע”פ שיש בו כל הסימנים הללו אינו מותר אלא אם כן שמו חגב או שיש להם מסורת ששמו חגב.
Whether אשכנזים have such a מסורה altogether is the real question.
Who exactly are these ‘many authorities in Jewish law’ cited by the author, who permit אשכנזים to eat חגבים in current times? Statements such as the above should really be substantiated with proper מקורות.
While we’re at it…
French flies
Fried Lice?
Slifkin…
Your last paragraph was unnecessary, but telling.
I am pure Litvish.
They are kosher.
I’ve eaten them.
I don’t like them.
really? so you are disgusted at the thought of eating a bug, but taking the organ of an animal, such as its liver, grinding it up with mayo, and that you are okay with?
Yuck!! Barf bag anyone?!?!
Even if permitted, I think I’ll pass on the opportunity. Not at all appetizing.
I’d love to try some. Does anywhere in America sell them?
My spider senses tell me to stick with the kosher chicken on this one. But Kosher they may be.
I would eat one, unless it had a chassidisher hechsher, in which case I wouldn’t trust it. They make up their own rules.
I think it’s perfect food for 6th grade boys! For the rest of us, I’m not so sure we are ready for the adventure.
I like trying new and exotic foods, some even concluded that I like it too much (but are too polite to tell me). But if ever I find myself at the restaurant that serves these abominations, I will get up and leave at once (and apologize to my wife for bringing here there in the first place), no matter how reliable their hashgoho is. It has nothing to do with kashrus or being a yid, just with being a civilized man.
HKB”H should bring all eser makos on mitzrayim
” But if ever I find myself at the restaurant that serves these abominations, I will get up and leave at once …It has nothing to do with kashrus or being a yid, just with being a civilized man.”
Hakodosh Boruch Hu created it for you to eat, and you call it an abomination. How civilized.
mmm mazon! l’ll eat mine with Honey
So the real question is, are they kosher l’Pesach? And since the tradition of identifying them has only been maintained by the Sefardim, does that make them kitniyot 🙂 ?
I had a friend in school who would catch all kids of bugs & eat them alive! It really grossed me out then and still gives me the chills now.
I dont think anyone here really has a problem with the halocho: either your rav/mesorah allows it or he doesnt.
what people here are complaining about is the ICK factor – what does your gut tell you (either to retch & throw it up or to ask to taste some!).
Although it may be kosher, I don’t think I could bring myself to eat it, i have difficulty even looking at that picture.
I am not grossed out by it, I would eat it, but the Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh zya (who byw was Sefardi) said that the Jews of Morrocco were cursed with a plague of locusts because they ate locusts.
This psak by Slifkin is mamish true. I read it in a secret sefer known as Chiddushim Apikorsim, Perek vav, daf heh.
Seriously, where can I get some. Other than the conditioned ick factor, locust are nutritious, cheap, and somewhat tasty. I’m very much interested in trying them.
This whole thing is ridiculous – The Taz, Aruch Hashulchan and even the Ohr Hachaim all rule that it is ASSUR to eat locusts! Slifkin (zoo rabbi?) should be ashamed of himself!
I respect the Rabbi’s deep erudition in the law, but I think I’ll stay away from his kitchen. 🙂
If you’re going to eat locusts remove the head and the wing covers. They’re pretty much completely indigestible chitin.
i would faint at the table lol; just looking at them and knowing i had to eat this ?? lol i couldnt do it . i would faint and fall on the floor. no thank you. really i would faint