Rice grasshopper

Rice grasshopper

　　Locusts are insects that are both edible and medicinal, oviparous, belonging to the class Insecta, order Orthoptera, and family Acrididae. According to statistics, there are 859 species of locusts in the Acrididae family, but mainly two are suitable for both medicine and food: the Oriental migratory locust and the Chinese rice grasshopper. These two types of locusts are rich in nutrients, with soft, tender meat that tastes as delicious as shrimp. According to the books *Research on Migratory Locusts* and *The Feeding Value of Migratory Locusts*, locusts are high in protein, carbohydrates, insect hormones, and other active substances, and contain vitamins A, B, C, as well as trace elements such as phosphorus, calcium, iron, zinc, and manganese. Locusts are not only a delicious delicacy, but also an effective remedy for various ailments. They have the effects of warming the stomach, supporting yang, strengthening the spleen, aiding digestion, dispelling wind, and relieving cough. *Compendium of Materia Medica* records that locusts—used alone or in combination—can treat a variety of diseases, such as tetanus, infantile convulsions, fever, asthma relief, blood stasis swelling, cormorant plague, frostbite, tracheitis, and the prevention of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. They can be decocted and taken as a soup (ten locusts at a time), or stir-fried until crisp, ground into powder, and taken orally (five locusts per dose). For frostbite, the stir-fried and crushed locusts can be mixed with fragrant oil and applied to the affected area.

　　 　Locusts are rich in nutrients, have tender meat, and taste as delicious as shrimp, earning them the nickname "flying shrimp" in places like Hong Kong.

　　They are pure green food, free from pollution, drawing on the essence of nature. They feed on rice plants and drink natural dew.