The cicadas are here: How’s your appetite?
You’ve probably heard the news: Cicadas are coming. Or — wait — they’re already here.
And are they ever! Due to an unusual overlap of the lifecycles of two types (or broods) of cicadas, trillions of cicadas are expected to emerge in the US by the end of June, especially in the Midwest.
If you’d like to see where they’ve already arrived, track them here. And if you’re wondering if this cicada-palooza could help with grocery bills, read on to decide for yourself how appealing and how safe snacking on cicadas is for you. The pros and cons could change your outlook on the impending swarm.
What to know about cicadas
Don’t worry, cicadas are largely harmless to humans. In fact, their appearance is welcome in places where people routinely snack on them as a low-cost source of calories and protein.
Estimates suggest up to two billion people regularly eat insects, especially in South and Central America, Asia, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. Cicadas, when available, are among the most popular. And if you thought no one in the US eats cicadas, check out this video from a May 2024 baseball game.
Are you tempted to eat cicadas?
For plenty of people, cicadas aren’t the food of choice. Some people can’t get past the idea of eating insects as food. That’s understandable: after all, the culture in which we are raised has a powerful influence on what we consider acceptable in our diets. Something some Americans might find off-putting (such as eating snakes) is common in China and Southeast Asia. Meanwhile, people outside the US find aspects of the typical Western diet unappealing (such as root beer, peanut butter and jelly, and processed cheese).
But some people shouldn’t eat cicadas because it could be dangerous for them.
Why you should — or shouldn’t — eat cicadas
Eating cicadas is common in many parts of the world because they are
- nutritious: cicadas are low in fat and high in protein, including multiple essential amino acids
- inexpensive or free
- tasty (or so I’m told): descriptions of their flavor vary from nutty to citrusy to smoky and slightly crunchy.
In years when cicadas emerge, recipes for dishes containing cicadas emerge as well.
Then again, there are several good reasons to avoid making cicadas a part of your diet, including these:
- You just can’t get past the “ick” factor. Adventurous eaters may be willing to try or even embrace consuming cicadas, while others will be unable to view the idea as anything other than horrifying.
- You find the taste or consistency unappealing.
- You’re “cicada intolerant.” Some people get stomach upset, nausea, or diarrhea if they eat too many cicadas.
- You’re pregnant or breastfeeding, or are a young child. Concerns about even low levels of pesticides or other toxins in cicadas have led to recommendations that these groups not eat them. Doesn’t this suggest the rest of us should also steer clear? Well, thus far, at least, there’s no evidence that toxins in cicadas are causing health problems.
But there is one more very important entry on this list: people with a shellfish allergy should not eat cicadas. Odd, right?
The shellfish-cicada connection
Cicadas are biologically related to lobsters, shrimp, crabs, and other shellfish. So if you’re allergic to shellfish, you might also be allergic to cicadas. A particular protein called tropomyosin is responsible for the allergy. It’s found in shellfish as well as in many insects, including cicadas.
The allergic reaction occurs after eating the cicada. Just being around them or handling them won’t trigger a reaction.
Among people with a shellfish allergy, developing a reaction after eating cicadas could be a bigger problem than it seems: up to 10% of people have shellfish allergies and, as noted, insect consumption is common worldwide.
Is it okay for your dog or cat to eat cicadas?
Walking your dog after the emergence of cicadas can be a new and exciting experience for you and your pet! Dogs may chase after cicadas and eat them. Cats might, too, if given the chance. That can be a problem if your pet eats too many, as some will experience stomach upset or other digestive problems.
While the insects are considered harmless to dogs, the American Kennel Club says it’s best to steer them away from cicadas once they’ve eaten a few.
Which other insects trigger allergies?
While insect-related allergic reactions (think bee stings) and infections (like Lyme disease) are well known, the insect-food-allergy connection is a more recent discovery.
One recently recognized condition is the alpha-gal syndrome, in which a person bitten by certain ticks develops an allergy to meat. The name comes from a sugar called galactose-α-1,3-galactose (or alpha-gal) found in many types of meat including beef, lamb, pork, and rabbit. According to the CDC, up to 450,000 people in the US may have developed this condition since 2010.
There aren’t many rigorous studies of the overlap of insects and food allergies, so there are probably others awaiting discovery.
The bottom line
When it comes to eating cicadas, I’ll pass. It’s not because of the risks. I’ve never had a problem with shellfish, and for most people the health risks of eating cicadas seem quite small. It’s just unappealing to me, and I’m not a particularly adventurous eater.
But let’s go easy on those who do enjoy snacking on cicadas. Insects offer a good source of calories and protein. Just because eating them seems unusual in the US doesn’t make it wrong.
So, if you like to eat cicadas and have no shellfish allergy or other reason to avoid them, go for it! This may be a very good summer for you.
About the Author
Robert H. Shmerling, MD, Senior Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
Dr. Robert H. Shmerling is the former clinical chief of the division of rheumatology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), and is a current member of the corresponding faculty in medicine at Harvard Medical School. … See Full Bio View all posts by Robert H. Shmerling, MD
