>> You are watching Daytime @ Nine.
>> Cassandra: I can already smell it.
We've heard of backyard gardens.
This is taking it to a whole other level.
Eating insects seems like the next big craze, but how do you get past The Yuck Factor?
Marjory Wildcraft and Allen Davisson, a bug expert in eating I guess.
They're both here to tell us how.
Look, I can already smell it.
I was all for this.
Now I'm getting a little bit nervous.
>> Marjory: It will be fine.
You're going to be good.
>> Cassnadra: Thanks to you guys for being here.
First, I want to read a couple tweets from our viewers who are telling me how to make
it go down easier.
Don't say it.
Eddie says salsa.
Manana, Texas says he has hundreds of scorpions at his house if I want to eat them.
>> Allen: Right here are scorpions.
>> Cassandra: Isa Lay says chips. Try them with chips.
I guess everything works with chips or salsa, right?
>> Marjory: Butter and tamari fixes a lot of things.
Garlic is also a good thing, but they actually have a really unique flavor and taste of their
own that's quite tasty once you get over the idea of what you're doing.
>> Cassandra: How did this come about?
Marjory, were you sitting one day on the couch, and you said, "There's a bug crawling across
my table.
It'd be fun to eat that."
>> Marjory: No, actually I wanted to be food self-reliant in my backyard.
Some things are really difficult to grow as a backyard gardener, and fats ...
>> Cassandra: You grow vegetables and things like that?
>> Marjory: Animals, rabbits and chickens, but getting fat and especially the precious
omega-3 fatty acids are very difficult.
Insects have a good source of it as well as other minerals that are hard to get a hold
of.
They're eaten everywhere else in the world.
I'm like, "Why, I've traveled a lot.
I haven't exactly eaten bugs, but I know other people eat it.
I've got to try it."
And I was like, "Yuck!"
>> Cassandra: That's where Allen comes in.
>> Marjory: I met Allen, and Allen's been doing this for years.
He's totally comfortable with it, and so I'm like, "Allen, can you show me?"
Normally, what we do is we throw a big party, and have everybody over, and we eat bugs together.
That's how I get over it.
>> Cassandra: Allen.
>> Allen: It turns out most of the world has been doing this for hundreds of thousands
of years.
Even today in most countries in the world, this is an important part of the food diet.
>> Cassandra: Sometimes a delicacy, is it not?
Like you go, and you order it especially made, and eat.
>> Allen: If you go into a Paris, or a New York, or a San Francisco restaurant, they're
a little ahead at Central, Texas on the core group.
>> Cassandra: Just a little bit.
>> Allen: You'll go in to buy a bowl of soup, your $6-bowl of soup with six scorpions floating
on the top.
It's now a $25-bowl of soup.
There's a little room for our local entrepreneurs to work with this too.
>> Cassandra: This does have a very distinct smell.
I mean, it doesn't smell like other food that you will be making.
It does have a distinct smell.
I want the viewers out there to know that.
Walk me through the different types of insects, and the benefit to your health.
What is this right here?
What are these?
These are?
>> Marjory: These are just grasshoppers.
My daughter caught them last night actually for us.
The hype of 50 cents of grasshopper, I'd recommend doing it other ways.
>> Cassandra: Is that a katydid right there in the middle?
Kimberly said she's very scared of that.
>> Allen: This would be the katydid.
>> Cassandra: Oh! That's the katydid.
>> Allen: This guy is about an inch-and-a-half to two inches long, and he has mandibles that
will draw blood, so be careful.
>> Cassandra: Wait a minute. He will draw blood?
>> Allen: They can.
>> Cassandra: He is huge.
Is this something I can eat?
>> Marjory: That's a big chunk of meat right there.
>> Allen: You can butter that up and chicken fry it.
Have it southern style.
>> Cassandra: Okay, and then these are just regular?
>> Allen: That's brown house crickets.
>> Cassandra: Brown house crickets.
>> Allen: These are ones that people can buy commercially at the pet store.
If they want to tinker around at home, amuse, and amaze their friends.
>> Cassandra: This is what's freaking me out a little bit.
Can we see these up close?
What are these?
>> Allen: These are mealworms, two different types of beetles.
These are also available at the pet store.
>> Cassandra: Disgusting by the way.
They look disgust ... They do look ...
Come on man!
They look ... You just ate one.
He just ate one of those.
>> Allen: No, the tamari and butter works.
These are really, really good.
>> Cassandra: All of these are omega-3s?
>> Marjory: Omega-3 fatty Acids.
>> Allen: Omega-3, high proteins.
>> Cassandra: My producers are laughing at me here, because I think she's having a good
time with this.
She knows I'm going to have to do this.
I see a scorpion right there.
How can you eat a scorpion before it eats you?
>> Allen: Their stinger or their venom is neutralized in the cooking, so you can actually
chew up the stinger and swallow it if you're daring.
It could poke your tongue, but it wouldn't sting you.
Getting them into the boiling water is the only trick.
>> Cassandra: You just boil them in that ...
>> Allen: Into the boiling water.
>> Marjory: With most of this.
If you just drop it into that boiling water, it kills them really quickly.
That's how you can do things like wasps or bees or other things that might be difficult
to handle.
You just dump them in that boiling water.
>> Cassandra: Can you drop one of the ...
Show us how just one of the ...
Maybe the ...
>> Cassandra: Is that a scorpion?
>> Marjory: Yes.
>> Allen: We would knock a scorpion in somewhat like that.
>> Cassandra: Oh my gosh.
>> Allen: She's dead already.
>> Cassandra: She's dead already.
>> Allen: Right.
>> Cassandra: When she hits the water, she's dead, so there's no pain involved.
>> Allen: She hits the water, and she is dead.
>> Cassandra: I'm going to try a cricket.
I'm going to do it.
These are crickets right here?
>> Marjory: Yes.
>> Allen: Those are the crickets.
>> Cassandra: All right guys, what camera should I look at when I'm trying this cricket?
This is a big cricket.
Can I get a drum roll or something?
It just feels ...
>> Allen: Down the hatch.
Come on!
You can do it. You can do it.
What do you think?
>> Marjory: I think I'll try one. >> Cassandra: Everyone is laughing at me.
>> Marjory: I'll try a meal worm.
>> Cassandra: It tastes like ...
It's actually ...
I'm going to sound weird saying it. It actually tastes very good.
Once you get past the fact that you're eating an actual cricket, it has like spices, and
it's a little bit like eating ...
>> Allen: That's a lot easier than eating a clam or a sardine.
>> Cassandra: I think the legs are stuck in my teeth though.
Guys stick around, because we're still going to try the worms, the katydids, the scorpions.
I promise, I'm going to try all of them.
Our producer Caitlyn and Kimberly, I know you're back there.
I am grabbing.
I'm going to make you eat one of these.
We're not done eating bugs.
Thanks to you guys for all the great info.
Start putting them in the boiling water.
We'll eat them together.
Stay with us. We'll be right back.
You know it was good.
Was it this sauce?
>> Allen: It's good.
>> Cassandra: Welcome back everybody.
We tried the crickets.
Now, we're going to try the grasshopper.
You've prepared them.
>> Marjory: We got the scorpion there.
>> Allen: A wood scorpion is ready for you.
>> Cassandra: We'll wait on the scorpion.
Tell me a little bit about these grasshoppers.
Can anybody eat them?
>> Allen: The grasshoppers and crickets ...
If you know you can eat all grasshoppers and all crickets, there are a couple thousands
species now that you know you can eat.
That's a good safe standby for people to start with.
However, if you have seafood allergies, do not eat insects.
These are in the same family as the crustaceans, the lobsters.
In fact, we're boiling these grasshoppers right now until they turn red.
>> Cassandra: Until they turn red?
That's how you know they're done?
>> Allen: They turn red just like a lobster, and that's a good indication ...
>> Marjory: They're just like a little miniature lobsters.
In fact, you can pull the meat out of the legs.
It's just like eating a crab.
>> Cassandra: He was telling me earlier why I could have told you a lot of people pull
the legs off, because the legs got stuck into my teeth.
I just have to say that.
In case you're just joining us, Marjory Wildcraft and Allen Davisson.
He's the bug expert.
She includes bugs in her diet, and obviously it's a way to sustain yourself into ...
>> Marjory: Backyard food production.
>> Cassandra: In addition to growing a garden.
>> Allen: The World Health Organization is putting on a big push right now to educate
really the whole civilized world so that they can become a little more uncivilized, because
they really want us to become more accustomed to insects being an important part of our
diet.
It takes 1/6 of food to raise a pound of insect protein as it does to raise a pound of beef.
>> Cassandra: Wow!
Importantly, these have a lot of omega-3s.
I was reading an article the other day about getting closer to things that come from the
earth in your diet, and that's how you can be more healthy and live well.
Are we close to them being done?
>> Allen: Yes, these are quite.
>> Cassandra: I want to go ahead and call in Corky Ballas.
Come on in, professional dancer, world class.
Come on over to this side.
Corky I want ... maybe you can try it first, and then let me know how it goes, okay?
Here Marjory, you can stand right here.
>> Allen: Legs and wings.
Take the legs and wings off, so they don't get stuck ...
>> Cassandra: Is it this one right here?
>> Allen: Mm-hmm.
>> Corky: Now what is this contraption? Here?
>> Cassandra: Yes, pick it up.
>> Allen: Yes.
>> Cassandra: Pick it up.
>> Corky: Oh my gosh!
>> Cassandra: Should he pull the leg off?
>> Allen: I would take that leg off.
>> Corky: This one?
>> Allen: Yes, take that leg off.
>> Cassandra: That's a big a leg.
That's like a piece of dental floss in itself.
>> Allen: The other leg.
Is the other leg still in there?
>> Corky: I don't know. Can you?
>> Allen: No, it looks like it's gone already.
>> Corky: What is this I'm holding?
>> Allen: That's the thigh.
>> Cassandra: That's the thigh.
Don't take the ...
You got to try the thigh.
>> Marjory: Just pop the whole thing in.
>> Cassandra: Corky, are you going to do it?
>> Corky: I'm going to try half of him.
How about that?
>> Cassandra: Okay, try half.
>> Corky: Mine is pretty tasty.
>> Cassandra: It's good?
>> Corky: Yes, it's actually pretty good.
>> Cassandra: Caitlyn, our associate producer.
Caitlyn come on.
>> Corky: How about the head?
Do I have to eat the head?
>> Allen: That's good. The head is the best.
>> Cassandra: Caitlyn, you want to eat the head?
>> Caitlyn: Yes, that's the best part.
>> Corky: Oh my gosh!
>> Allen: It's the best. It's crunchy like popcorn.
>> Corky: Let's see. Can you zoom in on his head?
Where is his head?
>> Caitlyn; I'm going to eat that head.
>> Corky: You're going to zoom in on that?
>> Cassandra: Yes.
>> Corky: Can you zoom in? I'm going to eat him right now.
>> Caitlyn: Corky's going to do it.
>> Cassandra: Come on Caitlyn. It's all you girl.
>> Caitlyn: Corky didnít save any for me.
>> Corky: No, try him.
>> Cassandra: I'll leave the big fat one for you, and then I'll try the little skinny
one.
How about that?
I already ate one.
>> Caitlyn: Should I take off the wings?
>> Corky: No, eat it like that.
>> Allen: You take the wings off.
The leg is a little chewy.
>> Cassandra: Let's take the legs off.
It's a little bit like squishy.
I'm not going to lie.
This is not hard.
It's like the meat.
It's actual meat.
>> Cassandra: Ready? On three.
>> Corky: Ready? One, two, go.
Do it. Do it. Do it.
>> Allen: Chew it fast. Chew it good.
>> Corky: I feel mine is swimming down my throat right now.
>> Cassandra: Wow! I got to say, I think I like the crickets better than the grasshoppers.
Guys, we are eating scorpions in just a second, so stay with us.
Daytime @ Nine will be right back after we swallow our grasshoppers.
I said I was going to do it guys, and I always keep my word.
What are we doing here?
These are scorpions.
>> Allen: Whoa, we're going to take the stinger off for you.
>> Cassandra: What a minor thing, but this ...
>> Allen: The venom is ...
>> Marjory: You could eat it.
It will just poke you a little bit.
The venom is all gone.
>> Cassandra: But it would poke you, so if you're going to eat this at home, make sure
and take the stinger off before.
All right guys, I got it.
I'm going to take the fat one.
>> Marjory: You're going to love it.
>> Cassandra: I want everyone to know.
I'm going to take the fat one.
>> Marjory: Good, you're going to love it.
>> Cassandra: Kimberly, are you sure you don't ...
>> Kimberly: Go Cassandra.
>> Cassandra: Kimberly, I'm going to do this.
Count me down Kimberly.
>> Kimberly: Don't throw up.
Ready Cassandra?
Three, two, one, this is what you get paid the big bucks for.
Go, go, go.
>> Allen: Nobody can eat just one.
>> Kimberly: Does it taste like chicken?
Does it taste like chicken? >> Cassandra: It tastes like frog legs.
>> Marjory: What?
>> Corky: Like frog legs.
>> Marjory: You ate frog legs, and you've been complaining about meal worms and scorpions.
>> Cassandra: It's so good.
>> Kimberly: Can we let Corky try one?
>> Cassandra: Corky Ballas, come on in here.
You said you were game.
>> Corky: Oh! My gosh!
>> Kimberly: You have a choice.
>> Cassandra: I ate the big one.
>> Kimberly: You can have that little baby one.
I won't judge you.
>> Corky: I'm going to have the medium one.
>> Kimberly: The medium one.
Are they all cooked well done?
>> Allen: They're all cooked well done for the newbies.
>> Cassandra: You take it off, but if you want to ...
>> Allen: You could.
>> Marjory: You could eat these guys raw.
>> Cassandra: Kind of good.
>> Kimberly: How is it Corky?
>> Cassandra: No, you don't like it?
It tastes like frog legs.
>> Kimberly: We got to get Caitlyn in here.
>> Caitlyn: I didn't know about this.
Is the stinger off?
>> Marjory: Just this one over here.
>> Allen: The stinger is off yes.
>> Marjory: You're never going to look at your backyard the same.
>> Kimberly: No, I'll never look at it like a buffet.
That's for sure.
How is it?
>> Caitlyn: It's better than the grasshopper.
>> Corky: Yes, it was actually.
>> Cassandra: All right Caitlyn.
We got to try one of these worms.
>> Kimberly: I hope you're not eating your breakfast.
You can eat a worm?
Oh my goodness.
>> Cassandra: Let's try one of these meal worms.
>> Corky: Ready?
>> Kimberly: Have a great day.
>> Cassandra: One, two, three.
>> Kimberly: We'll see you all tomorrow.
Thank you both so very much for being here.
>> Cassandra: Marjory and Allen, good stuff.
>> Marjory: You're more than welcome.
>> Allen: You're welcome.
I'm happy to be here.
Thank you so much.
>> Cassandra: Thank you for sharing all your great tips with San Antonio.
>> Cassandra: And for feeding me today.
>> Marjory: Breakfast.
>> Allen: Bon a petite.
>> Kimberly: Thank you all. See you tomorrow.
>> Cassandra: Next time remind me to bring the floss.
>> Corky: Yes, that would be good.