Re: Grasshoppers

They are not grasshoppers they are called locust. They have special Simanim (identifying signs) see Maimonides Maachalot A'asurot Chap. 1 Hal.22 for the signs (the kosher species have a "tzurat Het" (darkened shape of the hebrew letter Het) on their upper stomach). Moroccans eat them as well although not all. They do not require ritual slaughter and are cooked either by roasting and sometimes boiled. After they are roasted you simply bend the head back till it snaps and pull up. This removes the insides and leaves just the meat. If you don't like the legs then you don't need to eat them. If you are concerned about the amount of meat on them not to fear they grow to be quite large. I had one in my yard about two years ago around Pesah time he was at least as long as from the tip of my middle finger to roughly my watch. Perhaps a bit longer. They are a delicacy.

The following is the scientific name for the species that is accepted by all Yemenite locust eaters. This is the only species that was eaten in Sana'a and its environs. There were other species eaten in other areas of Yemen along with the more popular dessert locust mentioned below but they were not universally accepted. In Sana'a the only masoret they had was the dessert locust. The Torah mentions several species and their identifying marks that is why some ate from other species as well. In North Africa a different species altogether was eaten the Morrocan Locust whose scientific name escapes me at the moment.

Re: Grasshoppers

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