Beondogi

On the same trip back to China when my grandmother smuggled out the silkworms, she also brought back a large bag of brown stuff that upon closer inspection looked like bugs. She explained they were from the silkworm cocoons as she prepared to fry them up for dinner. I flatly refused to eat them. Then seeing how my grandmother and greataunt and even my cat was enjoying themselves, I tried one. I remembered it being crunchy and slightly nutty and not all that bad; but I'm pretty sure I only had one.

Now, years later, at the Korean grocery store (just north of Belmont on Kimball), in the canned meat section, I discovered Beondogi. The can said something about bird feed, and it's super high in protein but low in everything else that's supposed to be bad for you compared to red meat... The Koreans though eat them boiled, as snacks with beer. This guy explains it quite well and quite humorously: http://www.thesneeze.com/mt-archives/000398.php

Anyway, here are the poor silkworm pupae, who gave us humans their all, literally, and 2 cans' worth, before they went into the oven:



Here are they, after baking (back to crispy, and yes, I must admit, I had a few, for old time's sake), and covered in resin - getting ready to be part of the next piece ("Rice Bowl").