Moth Pancakes!

[Guest guest]

After years of being encouraged to " throw another shrimp on the

barbie " , Australians are now being urged instead to tuck into the

bogong moths that are plaguing many parts of the country.

 

The " munch a moth " campaign is being led by Jean-Paul Bruneteau, 51,

a French-born chef who is regarded as a worldwide pioneer of such

delights as smoked emu, lemon myrtle and bunya nuts.

 

He first began eating the brown bogong moths 11 years ago while

researching a book on " bush tucker " eaten by Aborigines.

 

" They have a lovely popcorn flavour, like hazelnut, " he said.

 

Mr Bruneteau, who has run " bush tucker " restaurants in Sydney and

Paris, suggests pulling off the " furry " wings, then popping the moths

in the oven for three minutes in a splash of canola oil.

 

Alternatively the chef, who trained in the Royal Australian Navy,

recommends putting them through a coffee blender and sprinkling the

resulting powder into an omelette, pancake or crepe.

 

Each year at this time millions of the moths fly south from

Queensland into New South Wales to avoid the summer heat. Once across

the state border they head for the Snowy Mountains where they

hibernate in caves.

 

It is from here that Aborigines once collected and consumed large

numbers of them.

 

Along the way, thousands also get blown into suburban homes. Martyn

Robinson, a naturalist who works at the Australian Museum in Sydney,

is another dedicated moth muncher, preferring to catch them on his

windowsill, hold them by the wings then pop them in his mouth.

 

But Mr Robinson's initial enthusiasm for eating the native moths

waned after he discovered that they contain high levels of arsenic,

the result of eating farm crops sprayed with pesticides.

 

He also warns about their fat content: one study found that 3oz of

bogong moth abdomen contains three times as much fat as a Big Mac.

Since then the naturalist has treated them more as a delicacy rather

than a staple.

 

" I do rather miss them, " he said. " They make a nice snack during the

day. "

[Guest guest]

ewwww....

 

however, in the " what are humans designed/supposed to eat "

department/argument, i think insects are indeed " natural "

human cuisine, and that humans were/are driven to eat them because of

starvation and availability concerns.

 

the local prehispanic indians here in san diego ate insects, but

hunted mammals/birds/etc very little (too much effort!). they also

harvested lots of lobster and abalone in the shallows, which, back

then, were abundant.

 

sorry for all/the/slashes

 

/blake/

 

After years of being encouraged to

" throw another shrimp on the

barbie " , Australians are now being urged instead to tuck into

the

bogong moths that are plaguing many parts of the country.

 

The " munch a moth " campaign is being led by Jean-Paul

Bruneteau, 51,

a French-born chef who is regarded as a worldwide pioneer of such

delights as smoked emu, lemon myrtle and bunya nuts.

 

He first began eating the brown bogong moths 11 years ago while

researching a book on " bush tucker " eaten by Aborigines.

 

" They have a lovely popcorn flavour, like hazelnut, " he

said.

 

Mr Bruneteau, who has run " bush tucker " restaurants in

Sydney and

Paris, suggests pulling off the " furry " wings, then popping

the moths

in the oven for three minutes in a splash of canola oil.

 

Alternatively the chef, who trained in the Royal Australian Navy,

recommends putting them through a coffee blender and sprinkling

the

resulting powder into an omelette, pancake or crepe.

 

Each year at this time millions of the moths fly south from

Queensland into New South Wales to avoid the summer heat. Once

across

the state border they head for the Snowy Mountains where they

hibernate in caves.

 

It is from here that Aborigines once collected and consumed large

numbers of them.

 

Along the way, thousands also get blown into suburban homes.

Martyn

Robinson, a naturalist who works at the Australian Museum in

Sydney,

is another dedicated moth muncher, preferring to catch them on his

windowsill, hold them by the wings then pop them in his mouth.

 

But Mr Robinson's initial enthusiasm for eating the native moths

waned after he discovered that they contain high levels of

arsenic,

the result of eating farm crops sprayed with pesticides.

 

He also warns about their fat content: one study found that 3oz of

bogong moth abdomen contains three times as much fat as a Big Mac.

Since then the naturalist has treated them more as a delicacy

rather

than a staple.

 

" I do rather miss them, " he said. " They make a nice

snack during the

day. "