September 7 marks the Feast of Saint Gratus of Aosta, the patron saint of the fear of insects. Among his many miracles, Saint Gratus is said to have aided farmers in the French Alps who vanquished a ravenous swarm of locusts by invoking his name. I chose that significant date to host a five-course bug banquet, a first-of-its-kind feast at Cafe Racer, a charmingly off-kilter drinking and dining establishment on the edge of Seattle's University District. Fifty people paid $20 each to attend this fete and to gorge themselves on Orthopteran Orzo, Locust Kabobs, a mealworm-filled Tenebrio Terrine, and a sumptuous Pear Salad dotted with Chiangbai Ants. Between courses, the café offered Bug Juice, a non-alcoholic drink, containing cochineal insect dye.
The event was heralded with great enthusiasm by the Seattle media. Writing for the city's alternative newspaper The Stranger, Brendan Kiley urged the Cafe Racer team to consider hosting the bug feast more than once a year. He proposed several additional dates, each of them a feast day commemorating other holy men "who specialize in bugs&emdash;infestations of, fear of, and bites from": Saint Magnus of Füssene (patron of protection from caterpillars), Saint Narcissus (patron of protection from biting insects), Saint Mawes (patron of protection from all insects), and Saint Mark the Evangelist (patron of lawyers).
Chinese ants from the Changbai region are sold commercially as a health supplement in Asia. They reputedly have health benefits, perhaps because of their proximity to the finest ginseng-growing region of China. So if you want to slow the aging process or (to quote the literature) "increase sexual vigor," then these ants are for you.
When I wrote the first edition of this book, there was a local source of dried Chinese black ants in Los Angeles. However, that company no longer sells my ants of choice, opting to carry a line of healthful ant tinctures instead. As a result, I've had to look for overseas sources, which in my case means begging travelers to the East to bring me back a few vials of China's previous commodity in their luggage.
WIthout further fanfare, here is the recipe for a tasty salad topped with dried black ants.
