One of my early memories of Korea in 2007 is incredible high-pitched sounds coming from trees during the hot summer months. I first noticed this when walking under the huge Zelkova trees on our campus. I still don't know if it's my imagination, but I find the insect noise-makers often start up when a person approaches a tree... then good luck trying to carry on a conversation with your neighbor as you pass by!I have since learned these bugs occupying trees in this part of the world are called Cicadas and they can produce sounds up to 120 dB at close range and are among the loudest of all insect-produced sounds. I am now so familiar with this sound that I associate it with summer, like the sound of crickets on a warm summer evening back home. In fact, I'm sitting here at the computer with the windows open listening to the waves of sound as I write this.
Interesting creatures these Cicadas. Apparently they live underground for seventeen years and then come out during their last summer to live only one week. While living underground they feed on root juice and have strong front legs for digging. When ready, they then construct an exit tunnel to the surface and emerge.Not to worry if you come to visit South Korea because Cicadas are benign to humans and do not bite or sting. On the contrary, many people around the world eat Cicadas with the female as the prized catch because they are (apparently) meatier. Cicadas are often deep fried and dipped in a sauce like a hot mustard or cocktail sauce and, nice to know, roasted Cicadas have a "nutty" flavor. You may want to add this recipe I found to your collection =)
I haven't seen or been offered Cicadas as an entree here in Korea but it wouldn't surprise me if I were at some time. During and after the war years in the 1950s, Koreans truly lived off the land and many of these food sources are still enjoyed today. In fact, bugs such as silk worm in larvae and grasshoppers are considered a delicacy. I took this picture in an outdoor market in Seoul which is about as close as I'll get to the silk worm.
