How to Host a Cricket Fried Rice Party

Ever thought about eating bugs? Well, it’s slowly being embraced by the foodie world: cricket bars, bug candy and even restaurants are popping up that feature edible critters. Bugs are also considered to be a nutritious, sustainable alternative to traditional sources of meat. Even the United Nations promotes bug-eating as a way to end world hunger.

But let’s be honest, bug candy and energy bars can be expensive, especially if you’re planning on cooking for a crowd. So I took to the internet to obtain crickets directly from the source. We bought 500 five-week-old crickets from Fluker Farms, and they shipped the crickets live, straight to my doorstep. It was easy to pop the box straight into my freezer as soon as it arrived. Before roasting the crickets, we just took them out and spread them on the baking sheet. Super easy.

Cricket Fried Rice

• Prep Time:10 minutes
• Cook Time:1 hour
• Total Time:1 hour 10 minutes
• Servings:20
• Easy

Ingredients

• 500 crickets
• 5 cup cooked rice
• 4 eggs
• 4 cup frozen vegetable mix
• 1 chopped onion
• 4 cloves chopped garlic
• soy sauce
• oil
• salt
• spices (optional)
• 1/4 cup chopped scallions

• Step 1

  Preheat oven to 200˚F. Assemble ingredients for fried rice.

  

• Step 2

  Place crickets on a baking tray. Season with salt to taste. Bake at 200˚F for 60 minutes or until dry.

  

• Step 3

  While the crickets are roasting, cook the fried rice. Saute onions and garlic in oil.

  

• Step 4

  Add rice and mixed vegetables.

  

• Step 5

  Form a well in the middle of the pan. Cook eggs until scrambled.

  

• Step 6

  Season with soy sauce and/or spices to taste.

  

• Step 7

  When crickets are done, remove from the oven. Let cool. Allow people to Snapchat and Instagram this delicious component of their food before eating.

  

• Step 8

  Sample crickets to test for doneness.

  

• Step 9

  When crickets are cooled, assemble fried rice and roasted crickets.

  

• Step 10

  Allow people to sprinkle crickets on rice to taste.

  

• Step 11

  Enjoy with friends in a classy get-together.

  

• Step 12

  Bon appétit! The crickets add a nice savory crunch to a classic dish.