Banana Slugs Sauteed

[SLB_SA]

From North Coast Journal​

Banana Slugs Sauteed​

From A Taste of Humboldt: An Historical and Ethnic Cookbook of Humboldt County, California, assembled by Humboldt State University's Youth Educational Services.

Ingredients and method:
12 large banana slugs
white vinegar
butter

Put the slugs in the freezer for roughly one hour. Remove and immerse them in vinegar for another hour. Slug slime will congeal. Wash the slime off thoroughly under running water. Using a very sharp knife, make a vertical cut along slug's body and carefully remove the dark entrails. Also remove the small, fingernail-shaped shell from the slug's head area. Sauté them well in the butter and your choice of seasoning. Serving over rice or rolled into sushi are also options.

 

[peteg59]

Don't slugs carry some weird form of leprosy or something???

 

[SLB_SA]

According to this article Armadillos eat slugs and can transmit leprosy to humans. From the link:
"According to the Centers for Disease Control an Prevention, the small, shelled slug eaters are carriers of leprosy. Research published in 2011 in the New England Journal of Medicine confirmed that armadillos were the only animals known to share the same strain of the disease as humans, and were believed to be the primary culprits behind new transmissions in the Southeastern United States over the past few years.
While the armadillo-to-human transmission risk is usually low, people can get the disease from eating under-cooked armadillo meat (yes that is a thing), or coming into contact with blood or feces."

I am not an expert of slugs or leprosy. This CDC article says:
"Recently, CDC’s Division of Parasitic Diseases (DPD) was contacted by the Hawaii Department of Health (HI DOH) for advice regarding three cases of presumed Angiostrongylus cantonensis (AC) infection. AC, commonly called the rat lungworm, is a parasitic worm and the most common infectious cause of eosinophilic (a type of white cell) meningitis in humans worldwide. AC has an interesting life cycle. Infected rodents carry the adult worm and pass immature worms in their feces. Mollusks (i.e., snails, slugs, or semi-slugs) become infected by ingesting immature worms in the rat feces. Humans become infected by ingesting raw or undercooked mollusks (these guys can be tiny enough to hide on a nickel; – check it out! infected with the worms or contaminated raw produce. Transmission might also occur through ingestion of raw or undercooked freshwater shrimps/prawns, crabs or frogs. In humans, AC causes eosinophilic meningitis, the symptoms of which can include headache, stiff neck, nausea, vomiting, low-grade fever, fatigue, and abnormal skin sensations (e.g., tingling or pain). In most cases, the symptoms disappear in weeks to months and most patients recover completely, although rare cases of blindness, paralysis, and death have been reported."

The lesson (to me) is cook your banana slugs well. This chart surprisingly does not list the safe cooking temperature of slugs, a sad oversight.

 

[SLB_SA]

According to this NIH article, the safe internal temperature is 165 degrees ("Hosts of A. cantonensis such as snails, slugs, and prawns are considered safe for human consumption if thoroughly cooked (heated to an internal temperature of 74°C or 165°F).") As a kid, I used to eat redwood sorrel when hiking (& still do when in the redwoods). I have never tried banana slugs but a nomad in need might be tempted. Nature provides lots of edible options (which might or might not be eatable ("edible is usually used to describe something that is safe to eat, without regard to taste, while eatable often describes something that has some level of acceptable flavor")), some of which were eaten by earlier peoples (natives, pioneers, settlers, etc.) and could still be eaten today.

 

[JDub]

Grubs are a very common food in a lot of the Western Pacific - In the P.I. they're roasted (these are BIG ones) and sold on the streets as snacks. Big cockroaches (Waterbugs) too. Some unique street food over there. Lookup "Adidas", "Walkman", and "Betamax" for interesting takes on local delicacies. How do they taste? Meh... Just fine at 2:00 am...!

 

[GoingMobile]

I always preferred a good Banana Slug smoothie.

 

[maki2]

When you find one the first step in preparing it , before you capture it, is to sprinkle it with a couple of teaspoons of salt. It tenderizes them so they become as soft as warm butter.

 

[Happy Camper]

While other options exist, this won't be on my menu. More for everyone else. I'm a giver.

 

[Happy Camper]

How do they taste? Meh... Just fine at 2:00 am...!

Another solid argument against excessive drinking lol.

 

[mbrasseau]

Louisiana is currently being inundated by apple snails. They are also reputed to spread rat lungworm. There are fines if we try to collect the eggs (which are a nuisance) and they won't even tell us how long to cook them to be safe - they don't want us even trying to eat them. They know we will eat damn near anything down here... and true to my rearing, I'm googling recipes and safety temps, as I'm thinking "heck yeah! free escargot!"

So yep, I'd try a banana slug, if it's prepared right.

 

[karleesto]

They say in the US eating bugs is coming our way. Especially if Bill Gates is involved. Aleady sell cricket flour on Amazon.

Nope not doin it

 

[GotSmart]

You tenderfeet from anyplace East of the North Coast amuse me. I once did some service work in Monte Rio. Locals were getting ready for the Slug Festival.

People will eat anything on a dare.

Think of it as evolution in action.

 

[jacqueg]

They say in the US eating bugs is coming our way. Especially if Bill Gates is involved. Aleady sell cricket flour on Amazon.

Nope not doin it

Me either. I don't doubt that insects are a good source of protein. After all, crayfish, shrimp and lobsters are just big bugs, IMO. But still, I'm gonna leave it to younger generations to develop a taste for crickets...

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

.....and they won't even tell us how long to cook them to be safe.....

2.5 hours at 475ºF ;-)

 

[SLB_SA]

2.5 hours at 475ºF ;-)

If you want charcoal, cook them at 475F for 2.5 hours!!

 

[peteg59]

Welp, you'll certainly and without any doubt be "safe" eating them in charcoal form!!!

 

[lauratheexplorer]

Just recently a guy died he was in a coma for like 8 years the cause was he ate a slug on a dare. Don’t eat slugs.

 

[Hybrid-000]

Eating insects is quite common world-wide. I spent > 20 years in Africa and tall mud termite mounds in the desert are common. When the termites swarm, they can be captured by hand easily and cooked or eaten raw. Crunchy, nutty flavor. You can also dig a bit for them if they are not swarming. Fry if you are squeamish about raw insects.

DBB

 

[Morgana]

Well there's this
The Insect Cookbook

 

[SLB_SA]

Just recently a guy died he was in a coma for like 8 years the cause was he ate a slug on a dare. Don’t eat slugs.

Yeah He ate a slug on a dare, became paralyzed and died you are correct!!