How to survive cicada invasion? Eat them

Ruth Brown, Newser | USATODAY

Billions of bug-eyed cicadas are set to swarm the East Coast. So what will you do when "swarmageddon" hits? You can stay inside and grumble about the insects' loud sex noises, or, scientists say, you can just eat them.

Cicadas are "the shrimp of the land," entomologist Isa Betancourt tells NBC Philadelphia. "They are arthropods, which means they have an exoskeleton," she says. "We regularly eat the arthropods of the sea ... shrimp, lobster, and crabs."

Betancourt says cicadas are high in protein, low in fat, and are best when they first emerge from the ground in the morning, still soft after shedding their skin. Another scientist—and cicada cookbook author—says they can be prepared several ways. "Boiled they're going to taste a lot like shrimp," he says. "If you eat them au naturel, raw, they've got a delicate nutty flavor; a buttery texture."

17-year cicadas begin to emerge After a 17 year break, cicadas have begun to emerge from underground and will be seen swarming from North Carolina to New York.

Newser is a USA TODAY content partner providing general news, commentary and coverage from around the Web. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.