Have You Eaten a Cicada?

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  The protest against the crushed cochineal beetle used Starbucks drinks and Emma's "Would You Still Order Starbucks' Strawberry Frappuccino If You Found Out it Has Bugs In It?" post from ireallylikefood.com reminded me about an edible insect.
  
  The rare cicada graces our presence every 17 years. When they come, they stick to trees, sidewalks, railings, tables, and almost anything. They fly everywhere, annoy everybody, leave their dead shells, and continue to haunt us when they're gone.
  
  Yet people eat cicadas. It's a crazy notion, right? I wonder what the Starbucks protesters think about cicada eaters? 
  
  Personally, I have never eaten a cicada. It sounds a little too bizarre for my taste, but that doesn't rule out trying them one day. I could muster enough courage to munch on a chocolate covered cicada.
  I witnessed absurd displays of cicada eating in years past. I'll never forget that one day at Camden Yards in Baltimore, MD.  I sat with my brother and sister eating hot dogs wrapped in foil in center field.
  
  The stadium was packed with fans. The Orioles were getting crushed by the Yankees and the cicadas were buzzing everywhere.
  
  The fans didn't cry and leave despite the losing score. No, they went insane.
  
  The Orioles fans forgot about the game and began daring one another to eat cicadas. Two men began a heated cicada eating battle. They both caught and ate living cicadas. Every person's attention in center filed focused on this contest and ignored the ball game.
  
  After each guy had eaten 22 cicadas, one competitor finally gave up. He couldn't eat any more. Of all the sporting events I've attended, this one stands alone as the most memorable.
  
  Have you eaten a cicada or witnessed cicada eating?