Fried Grasshoppers in Tianjin

Fried Grasshoppers in Tianjin

　　Fried grasshoppers are a unique snack specialty in Tianjin. Grasshoppers, scientifically known as locusts, are extremely harmful to crops. When a locust plague strikes, swarms of these insects can devour all the crops in the fields in no time. In the past, rural areas in northern China suffered greatly from them, and the people of Tianjin even developed a hatred so intense they would "peel their skin and eat their flesh." Over time, although the locusts were never eradicated, they gave rise to a famous and distinctive snack. Visiting Tianjin and not trying fried grasshoppers is considered a great pity.

　　During the Mid-Autumn season, when grasshoppers have fed on newly ripened grain, they become plump and are at their best for eating. Too early, and they are not fat enough and lack roe; too late, and they are old, with thick skins that make them unpalatable. The specific method for making fried grasshoppers is as follows: remove the wings and large legs of live grasshoppers; when the oil is boiling hot, fry the grasshoppers until they turn yellowish-brown, then remove and drain the oil. Prepare an earthenware basin in advance with soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil, along with some chopped scallions and garlic as seasoning. Soak the fried grasshoppers in the basin, stir them a couple of times, then take them out and drain. Before serving, sprinkle a little more scallion and garlic on top. The fried grasshoppers are rich but not greasy, crispy, fragrant, and crunchy. If served sandwiched in a freshly baked, hot flatbread, the flavor is truly exceptional. That’s why there’s a popular Tianjin saying: "Flatbread wrapped with fried grasshoppers — take it home (or: eat it at home) and enjoy it!” During the Guangxu Emperor’s reign, the fried grasshoppers from “Yu Shi” north of the Drum Tower were very famous and well known to both women and children. Later, a street vendor inside the West Gate near Shenjia Barrier fried his grasshoppers until they turned a deep red, which made them even tastier. In the evenings, it was common to see ordinary citizens buy a pack of fried grasshoppers, along with a small amount of Zhigu Laobai Gan (a local liquor), and sit in their yards or by the roadside, sipping liquor and savoring the snack — a true reflection of Tianjin’s food culture. Later, people began briefly blanching live grasshoppers in boiling water, then drying or airing them before storing them for frying in winter, and even then, the taste remained delicious.

　　After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, thanks to the government’s successful leadership in eradicating locust plagues, this distinctive snack disappeared from Tianjin for many years. Recently, however, small shops selling fried grasshoppers have occasionally been spotted in streets and alleys.