I've always wondered why Jamaica has Ackee and
Saltfish as the national dish as we don't even have codfish in our waters. The
Saltfish in our national dish is imported and the National dish is really a holdover
from slavery days.
My landlady pointed out to me that you don't need to
use Saltfish which sell for almost JA$500 a pound in Jamaica; mackerel or even
Red Herring can be used as a substitute. I'd really go for some kidney and
Ackee right now, as they're falling off the tree like crazy.
But what about using the Stinkbug
(Encosternum delegorguei)? Can
that be a replacement for Saltfish?
How
to make Ackee and Stinkbug - Zimbabwe and South Africa solution to Chicken,
Pork and Egg Shortage in Jamaica
In parts of rural Zimbabwe and South Africa the Stinkbug
(Encosternum delegorguei) is
eaten as a spicy delicacy as reported in the article “Eat your Stinkbugs:
They’re good for you”, published March 7th 2016 by Sarah Schwartz, Science News.
Researchers have discovered that Stinkbug
(Encosternum delegorguei) are a
good source of protein that complements rice and grains in these African
nations. Researchers discovered that on
examining freeze-dried Stinkbugs, they contain the following benefits
1. Protein
2. 9
essential amino acids
3. Cholesterol-lowering
fatty acids
4. Antioxidants
This is mainly due to the fact that the Stinkbug
(Encosternum delegorguei), which
are aphids, drink the sap of many flowering plants and are considered to be
pest in the Western hemisphere.
However in Zimbabwe and South Africa the light green
insects, which are 25 mm (0.98 in) in length are consider to be a delicacy.
This is good as Africa’s rapidly growing population is going to need a lot of
food come 2100 as pointed out in my blog article
entitled “United
Nations Population Division says 11.2 billion people by 2100 - Why Africa and
India Population exploding as Insect Meat is coming”.
In South Africa they are called “thongolifha” or
“tsonônô” and in Zimbabwe, they are known as “harurwa” or “harugwa”. The Stinkbug
(Encosternum delegorguei) are
collected just before dawn, when they are asleep and easier to catch.
Care is taken not to kill them and any dead stink
bugs are removed. Then the live bugs are placed in a bucket with some hot water
and stirred, this causes them to panic, releasing all of their defense
chemicals in alarm that creates the stink and makes the bugs unpalatable.
This is why live Stinkbug
(Encosternum delegorguei) are
preferred; it's impossible to remove the defense chemicals that cause the stink
and makes them taste bitter. This process is repeated multiple times until all
their defense chemicals are drained and they're ready to be cooked. The Stinkbug
(Encosternum delegorguei) are
usually braised with salt and eaten as a spicy delicacy by the Zimbabweans and
South Africans.
However there is a danger, aside from the stink
glands, which are easily removed. When collected by shaking them out of a tree,
they are usually stored in traditional wooden baskets or in grain bags pick.
This causes low levels of a cancer-causing fungus
toxin to grow. Storing the bugs in a vacuum sealed container as described in my
blog article
entitled “Preserving
Food at MICO - How to make Vegetables, Eggs and Shordy Bread last forever” or
a ziplocked bag will keep them longer and reduce the formation of the toxic
fungus.
Stinkbug
(Encosternum delegorguei) may
potentially be a solution to Jamaica's Pork, Chicken and Egg shortage which is
expected to last till Easter 2016 as prophesied in my blog article
entitled “How
the Drought of 2015 means higher prices for Jamaican Christmas 2015 and Easter
2016”.
So Stinkbug
(Encosternum delegorguei) with
Ackee anyone?
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