The Incrdible, Edible - Locust

“And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey” Mark 1:6

Jesus is the star of the Gospels and rightly so, but we see Him being presented by another man – John the Baptist. The Gospels have much to say about this man as well .By our reckoning, he would have been a rather strange man. He preached what seemed to be a strange message; We hear his message in Matthew 3:1, 2 – “In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Repent and follow Christ was, and still is the message of the Bible. It represents mankind’s only hope of salvation. Jesus Himself speaking in John 14:6 says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.“ Peter preaches a similar message in Acts 4:12 – “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

The message seems just as strange today as it was then. We forget just how narrow the road is. Scripture also tells us that most will take the broad way that leads to destruction, and few will find the narrow way. How about you? Which path are you on – the broad way or the strange, narrow way? Eternity depends on your decision.

We read of John’s strange clothing of camel’s hair and leather in Matthew 3:3. His style surely stood out in a crowd. Perhaps one of the strangest characteristics of John was his diet – locusts, and wild honey.

Have you ever eaten a locust? They may be a little on the crunchy side, but they are edible – and they are healthy. The protein value of locusts is extremely high. Up to 60% of a locust meal is protein. However, some species do lack the necessary amino acid methiomine, and is considered substandard to casein which is the main protein of dairy products. Still, as a whole, the nutritional value of locusts is incredible.

The body also needs a certain amount of fat. Locusts check in with approximately 12% fat content. That may not be near as high as the protein content, but still it is sufficient to maintain health.

Feeling a little tired, worn out maybe? Locust meat is the fix you need, It contains a high level of iron. It is also a rich source of iodine, niacin, phosphorus, riboflavin, and thiamine. Trace amounts of calcium, magnesium, and selenium can also be found. Who knew?

There are many advantages to eating locusts. Consider the following: They can be seasoned to taste (Of course, the more seasoning used the less locust you taste. It doesn’t do much for the crunch though.); they cause no greenhouse emissions; they are a much healthier alternative to America’s accepted junk food snacks; there is no packaging to discard; they are cheaper than store bought food. Who can beat free?

Locusts are also considered a kosher food. Locusts are the only insect which is considered kosher. Directives in the Torah list four types of desert locust that can be eaten - the red, the yellow, the spotted grey, and the white. No doubt, John spent his lunch hour munching on one of these.

If you’re game, try this recipe from Moshe Basson:

• Gather about 25 locusts
• Have ready about 2 liters of vegetable stock with a little turmeric added to it.
• Throw the locusts in the boiling stock, whole. Cook for about 3 minutes.
• Drain the locusts and let them cool somewhat.
• Twist off their heads: this will also pull out the black, threadlike viscera.
• Remove the wings and small legs.
• Make a seasoned flour with 4 tablespoons any flour, 3/4 teaspoon salt, a little pepper and chili powder, a shake of ground coriander, and dried garlic granules.
• Roll the precooked locusts in a beaten whole egg, then roll them in the seasoned flour. Shake excess flour off.
• Fry in olive oil for 1 1/2-2 minutes, till color turns golden brown.
• Alternately, use prepared “shnitzel” crumbs, or fry in tempura batter.
• Serve with a lemony tahini sauce
• Crunch! Enjoy!

John the Baptist probably didn’t have these recipes tucked away in his camel’s hair, but Oh! If he had. Try this one:

Grasshopper fritters (courtesy of wikihow.com)

Ingredients: ¾ cup sifted flour; 1 tsp. baking powder; 1 tsp. salt; ¾ cup milk; 1 egg slightly beaten; 1 cup grasshoppers

• Sift 3/4 cups of flour, 1 tsp. of baking powder, and 1 tsp. of salt together in a bowl.
• Add 3/4 cups of milk and beat the mixture until it's smooth.
• Slightly beat one egg and add it to the mixture.
• Take 1 cup of grasshoppers and dip each of them in the egg batter. Make sure that the wings, legs (and the heads, if you like) have been removed.
• Fry oil in a frying pan.
• Deep fry the grasshoppers in the pan until they're crunchy and golden brown.
• Add salt and serve them.

We know that locusts would make a good fit with the Atkins Diet, but what about the rest of John’s Jordan River Diet – honey.

Honey is a wonderful sugar substitute. It is also considered Kosher even though it is made by insects that are not considered kosher. If you need energy, a couple spoons of honey is the answer, but there are many benefits to eating honey that go beyond the nutritional. Honey possibly aids in the healing of certain allergies. It can be used as a dressing on burns, and there is some evidence that it may kill cancer cells. However, none of these have been proven clinically. Traditional Indian and Chinese medicine rely heavily on the use of honey. It is said that a drink of honey with warm water can strengthen the circulatory system.

Matthew 3:3 tells us more of John’s ministry, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” As he traveled the Judean wilderness preaching, God kept him healthy through nature’s food supply – no added preservatives, no fillers, no toxins. How much better was his diet than what most of us eat today.

A trip to McDonald’s looks something like this:

Calories - 1,120
Sodium - 1,240 mg
Total Fat - 48 g
Potassium - 0 mg
Saturated - 13 g
Total Carbs - 148 g
Polyunsaturated - 0 g
Dietary Fiber - 8 g
Monounsaturated - 0 g
Sugars - 65 g
Trans - 2 g
Protein - 29 g
Cholesterol - 75 mg
Vitamin A - 4%
Calcium - 30%
Vitamin C - 9%
Iron - 30%

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Notice this is based on a 2000 calorie diet. Over half of your daily allotment is found in this single meal packed full fat, carbs, and way over-the-limit sodium.

What about Burger King’s Whopper Meal? You won’t have to eat again for a week.

Calories - 1,430
Sodium - 1,930 mg
Total Fat - 65 g
Potassium - 0 mg
Saturated - 19 g
Total Carbs - 185 g
Polyunsaturated - 0 g
Dietary Fiber - 0 g
Monounsaturated - 0 g
Sugars - 89 g
Trans - 1 g
Protein - 35 g
Cholesterol - 85 mg
Vitamin A - 0%
Calcium - 0%
Vitamin C - 0%
Iron - 0%

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

I know it tastes good, but you might want to consider trading it in for some sautéed crickets.

Sources:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/549444-the-nutritional-value-of-locusts
http://www.greenprophet.com/2013/03/feasting-on-locusts-a-recipe-from-moshe-bassons-kitchen
http://www.wikihow.com/Cook-Grasshoppers
http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/dangers-benefits-raw-honey-5387.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honey#Health_effects
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/mcdonalds-big-mac-meal-with-fries-and-coke-with-no-onions-113208356