Lost My Nerve At The Oriental Market Today

[Paladin]

I went to the big H Market in suburban Denver to get a few things for the weekend. I was wandering the aisles when I came across a display of small yellow cans bearing an illustration that got my attention. The writing on the label was almost entirely in Oriental symbols, but I finally found a description in very small letters: Silk Worm Pupa. Just like the illustration indicated. Now....I've always had an adventurous palate, but I just couldn't go the distance this time. Later I Googled "silk worm pupa, recipes" and quickly came across a few, including a suggestion for using them in a pizza. Have any of you ever sampled these little critters? I'm wondering if they taste like chicken. And I'm also starting to regret not bringing a can of them home, just to see the look on my wife's face.....

[Warpy]

1. Fortunately, somebody crazier than you are

has already done the taste test for you, about 3/4 down the page:

"Any words in an oval demand attention. The yellow oval on this can says "High Protein - Great side dish when drinking alcohol." I imagine this came from the silkworm marketing team when faced with the nagging question "Who the fuck's gonna eat this?!" The answer: DRUNKS!

"On the back of the can is a list of bullet points. One of them is: "Warning! Some people may be allergic to silkworms, and get blotches or break out from eating the contents of this can." Luckily I can't read Korean, so I'm good."

http://www.thesneeze.com/mt-archives/cat_steve_dont_eat_it.php

[kestrel91316]

2. That website sure is SPECIAL, isn't it?? But now you owe me a new keyboard.

[Paladin]

4. Two Large Gin Martinis.....

...Bombay Saphire, straight up, not dry, very slightly dirty, with blue cheese-stuffed olives.

Let me get those in my system, and I'll be ready for some high protein delicacies from the Orient.....

[Sanity Claws]

5. That site is ....unique.

I can't believe that he really ate that stuff. I almost puked just looking at photos of that stuff.

[Warpy]

6. The trick with cuitlacoche

Is to look away when you open the can and dump the contents quickly into a blender with your other ingredients and hit the switch.

I've used it in specialized tortillas and it has a vague black truffle flavor, earthy and quite pleasant.

Just don't ever look at it. Not ever.

[Retrograde]

8. You can buy it in cans?

Where? I'd like to have enough to see what they actually taste like.

Back to the original topic: Mr. Retrograde had an Applesauce Surprise Cake in which the surprise was earthworms. He says they basically didn't have any taste, and not that much in the way of texture.

[Sanity Claws]

10. Are you still married?

I can't imagine how I'd react if a man gave me a piece of cake with earthworms in it.

[Retrograde]

15. I didn't make the cake

it was one of his co-workers, preparing for some sort of contest involving earthworm recipes. He was testing them out on the unsuspecting people he worked with.

I've had free-range snails (from my own garden: it was just retribution for what their ilk did to my basil). They were pretty tasteless.

[Warpy]

11. It's not that easy to find, not even here in NM

but I live a five minute walk from a Mexican grocery. That's where I got the stuff.

Your best bet is ordering it online unless you know a farmer who will sell you ears of corn infected by corn smut, which is what it is. Otherwise, you'll have to rely on cans.

[troubleinwinter]

12. Cicadas

Each year my dad & I go up and spend a week with our Navajo friends on the reservation.

Last visit, we watched as the cicadas were emerging from the ground. The Navajo woman we were with did not like them and said, "Ugh. I don't like cicadas. When I was a girl, one summer we did not have any food. The boys went out and got cicadas. We ate them in tortillas. They're like peanut butter and crispy. I don't ever want to eat them."

[Paladin]

16. Cool Site. Thanks. (n/t)

[mtnester]

20. Steve Don't Eat it is one of my FAVORITE places on the Web when I want a laugh

Is there anything new on there? I will have to go visit now, it has been a while.

He has a pretty good writing style too! You can picture every moment of his adventure/experiment.

[bicentennial_baby]

3. No, I just want to raise them

I'm highly interested in sericulture. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sericulture

For spinning and knitting. I'm weird.

[grasswire]

18. btw, did you know about the silk worm industry in Noho...

....many decades ago? I just remembered that you are from Western Mass and I happened to tie that to your interest in fibers.

[Tab]

7. Lost your nerve???

I wouldn't even pretend to have one. The fact that you actually considered it is more than I would do.

I have other things on my list to experiment with eating before silk worm pupa, thankyouverymuch.

[Paladin]

13. Can't Say That I've Ever (Intentionally) Eaten Insects.

But I love crawfish, and they can't be too far up the evolutionary chain from creepy-crawlies......

[troubleinwinter]

14. I've eaten raw barnacles (on purpose)

at a big shindig put on by friends, descendants of the Hawaiian royal family.

Raw barnicles are not delicious. Taste like low-tide smells. And tough. But at least I can say I ate barnicles. (called opii)

[HappyCynic]

9. Cans = evil?

I have actually seen it in the Korean supermarket a few blocks from where I live and I was tempted to try it. Oddly, what stopped me wasn't a loss of nerve. It's just my opinion that anything that comes in a can (or prepackaged and sitting on a shelf) will taste like crap when compared to the properly prepared, fresh item. Think restaurant (or, depending on your skill, self-prepared) spaghetti vs Chef Boyardee. I'd have no problems eating the silk worm pupa if they were freshly prepared.

[eleny]

17. Have you ever shopped in the markets down on Federal Blvd?

I love going down there to shop. We're in Lakewood, so it's closer.

[Paladin]

19. I've Got Good Intentions Of Hitting Federal Blvd.

Can you recommend a couple of grocery stores there, maybe some good restaurants? Thanks so much.

I get the impression that the Federal Blvd. area of Denver is a lot like a portion of S.W. Houston I used to frequent: big supermarkets, and street signs in both English and Vietnamese. Gotta love it.....

[eleny]

22. Hi...

I keep going back to the shopping center just south of Alameda on the west side of Federal that has the Asian structure over where you drive in. You can't miss it. There's a restaurant in there that has the roasted ducks hanging in the window. Sometimes I go there to get some duck and roast pork. You know how they whack them into some pieces for you? Very good take home.

And then I go to a bakery that's located in the southwest corner of that shopping center. You can park right next to it on the west side and walk all over the center. I like the bakery rolls and also the fried sesame pastry balls and the big twisty things that remind me of crullers but are fried in peanut oil. It's my treat for on the way home. The place isn't pristine, if you know what I mean. But it's never stopped me!

The markets in that shopping center are a good place to start. If I recall right, one of them has a good butcher area and a good green grocer section, too. There are two markets in that center where I can find all that I need.

Shops are opening all the time on Federal. So I also like to drive around and try to find someplace new. Sometimes I forget if I've been in a market further south on Federal until I get inside and remember the layout. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

There's one market in the area that I want to check out. It's Asian Supermarket 2200 W Alameda Ave. It's just east of Federal and next to the old Denver County Social Services ‎location. It's been there a long time.

Let me know if you find a place that stands out!

[Paladin]

23. Wow, What A Great Bunch Of Information.

Thank you very, very much. I'll check these places out as soon as I can.....

[pscot]

21. I've heard that we don't get enough insects

inour diet. But I've always suspected there was a very good reason for that.