Fried Grasshoppers in Yunnan

Fried Grasshoppers in Yunnan

　　Among the "Eighteen Oddities of Yunnan," one is "eating grasshoppers as a drinking snack." These grasshoppers, commonly known as locusts—ordinary bugs to the extreme—are here affectionately called “jumping dishes.” In the old days of China, there was a year when northern regions were hit by a locust plague. The swarms blotted out the sun as they flew overhead. Wherever they went, blades of grass and tree leaves were all stripped bare, showing just how devastating locusts can be. In northwestern Yunnan, especially during autumn harvest season, fields are teeming with flying grasshoppers. Walking along the field ridges, you’ll hear frequent “ticking” sounds, and if you hurry, you might even step on a few. At this time, women harvesting grain would catch grasshoppers while cutting the crop, stuffing them into their cloth waist aprons. Of course, some people specialize in catching them—using a net tied to a bamboo stick, they run back and forth along the field edges, quickly filling up a whole plastic bag.

These women bring the caught grasshoppers home, blanch them in boiling water to remove wings and legs, then slowly roast them in a pan until golden and dry, with all moisture evaporated. Once crisp and golden brown, they add fragrant oil and Sichuan peppercorn seasonings. The yellow grasshoppers then emit an irresistible aroma—crispy with a refreshing hint of straw and grass. Alternatively, they dry the grasshoppers to make preserved snacks. When “friends come from afar,” they fry up a dish, pour a bit of liquor, and entertain their guests.