Thursday, November 1, 2012

Witchetty Grubs


It is firewood season in the nether lands of the north and we are once again putting saw to log to keep our family warm.  This year, we have a logging truck load of fine looking Tamarack (Western Larch) and Red Fir that is well seasoned and ready for the stove.  As we were splitting the wood and stacking it in the shed, we noticed a number of rather large, plump white grubs hiding in the bark.  After the children had a riotous time chasing each other with the wiggling grubs, we got back to the work at hand and put the grubs far from our minds.

Later, as I was reading an old pioneer recipe book I picked up at an antique store, I came across a rather interesting recipe from the outback of Australia for a delicacy known as "Witchetty Grubs".  It was in the "Picnic" section of the book that was introduced with the following: "The origin of picnics has been traced to Charles, Prince of Wales, afterwards Charles I., who, in the year 1618, gave such a party, and invited the marquises, lords, knights, and squires to bring every man his dish of meat".

Although obviously appropriate for a proper picnic, I thought I would add Witchetty Grubs to my survival recipes, knowing that many people in a survival situation are very likely to come across fallen logs and would be quite grateful to know that a protein rich meal was but a moment away.  And so, without further adieu......

Witchetty Grubs
Those fat, white grubs found in the damp rotting bark of old trees, are delicious cooked in honey.  Wild honey can sometimes be found in the bush.

That is the recipe in its entirety.  Please, I would love to hear from those of you who venture to try this latest offering in my lineup of survival recipes!  Happy munching!

17 comments:

  1. Enola,

    (captaincrunch)


    I enjoyed the Whataburger double meat/with cheese I had for dinner tonight. Something tells me that maybe deep southern fried "whichetty grubs" may be a good subsitute for Onion Rings:)

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  2. Checking out what these, yes indeed, edible grubs eventually turn into on wikipedia is quite interesting. I think I'll just stick to something a little more familiar.

    I dig similar - perhaps in the same worm family - ones up from the soil in my garden before they turn into these big, 1 1/4" fluorescent green beetles that fly at and into everything since they can't see. They devour my nectarines and peaches so it's a fight to get decent fruit off my trees with their very loud buzzing when I even go near the trees. It's a race to who gets to the peaches first!

    I'd have to be pretty hungry to eat one of these things. Perhaps it's an
    environmentally incorrect thing to squash them when I dig them up but I can't be too compassionate towards them when my peaches mean more to me and so much better tasting and much easier going down, if you get my drift!!
    Pat

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  3. They are a delicacy in New Zealand, particularly of the 'old school' Maori. I remember my mother and father finding the occassional grub when clearing wood and they were promptly thrown on an open fire to 'roast' and then it seemed succulently devoured whole! No salt, honey or anything else! Not yet for my palate, but who knows, maybe one day....

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  4. "How to eat Fried Worms", survival style!

    I'm REALLY hoping we don't get to this level of desperation...

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    Replies
    1. What's wrong with grubs? And why do people think that you have to be desperate to eat a sustainable natural food source?

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  5. Enola,

    Way,way back when dinosaurs roamed the earth and I was a boy scout, (forever greatful for that early on experience) I was the "nature/survival geek" of the troop. Grubs flash fried (instantly in hot oil not too long or they burst/burn) make a reasonable gaggle of fries to go with that whataburger captaincrunch is talking about.

    rainman

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  6. Enola,

    I heard these grubs are full of protein, and great BBQ'd but I've never tried them.

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  7. My late wife was, among many other things, an anthropologist. As such, she studied what people ate in various parts of the world and learned about eating grubs. Once, many years ago when visiting relatives in her native Oklahoma, the ladies were gathered around shelling pecans. While doing this they occassionally came across pecan worms (grubs). My dear wife, always the curious one, starting eating them raw and still wiggling. She pronounced them delicious. This shocked all the other ladies present. One of asked "where is she from". Another replied "California, where else".
    Over the years we had many good laughs about this remembrance. She was a good ol' gal. I miss her.

    Hangtown Frank

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    Replies
    1. Acorn grubs can also be eaten and enjoyed. They taste better than the non-leached acorns! :P (The tannins make the acorns super bitter until properly leached in water.)

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  8. Enola,

    I hate to say this, but barring my life hanging in the balance, I won't be trying "witchety grubs"... or any other insects for that matter. OK, I admit it... I'm a snob! ;)

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  9. People pay crazy-inflated prices to dine on underwater spiders (i.e. crabs), why not dine on grubs?

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  10. I might have eaten bugs before (what's really in that fast food junk?), but not knowingly. That's what I call "Hungry Food"-stuff that you gotta be really hungry to eat...another way of looking at it is that it's probably not any grosser that a can of vienna sausages("Vieenies") or potted meat(roadkill in a can).

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  11. When Scott O'Grady was shot down over Serbia and was MIA for six days in 1995, he survived on grubs, bugs and various insects. After he was rescued, he was asked about his diet. He stated during survival training he had learned about living off bugs and thought he'd never be able to eat one, but after about three days of no food he discovered that bugs and grubs didn't taste half bad. Guess it's all a matter of perspective. :-)

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  12. well, folks will try to eat all kinds of things..dont forget about those chocalate covered grasshoppers, fried worms, honey and grubs, etc...pure protein i am told. if a person is hungry, really hungry, they will eat most anything...i remember the story of the donner party and their eating leather while being stranded in the mountains during the snow season. and of course each other too. good reason to be prepared.

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  13. I think I'd rather eat the bark. Eww.

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  14. As a child, I ate a number of wiggly things on a dare, and they really aren't that bad. Earthworms taste like... dirt, lol, and ants are tart and crunchy. Grasshoppers are best with the wings and legs removed, and cooked a bit. And who hasn't accidentally swallowed a fly?

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  15. Bravo! Excellent article! This is real 'Wild Cookery!' :D

    Also, just as a friendly reminder to folks who happen to be unfortunately culturally pre-conditioned into the 'eww' factor regarding eating land insects... shrimp and lobster are just big sea bugs. Remember than when you are at Red Lobster next time. ;)

    Give me grubs any day of the week. They're certainly a lot better for you that that GMO Death-shmootz that most people mistake for 'food' at their local supermarkets.

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