ARLINGTON, Va. — As you probably know by now, the 17-year cicadas of Brood X have overtaken D.C., Maryland and Virginia. The cicadas are edible as long as you don't have a shellfish allergy, but if you can't quite bring yourself to crunch into the critters, there are alternatives.
If the only thing stopping you from eating a cicada is the lack of chocolate, the Bethesda-based shop Chocquette offers boxes of chocolate-covered, air-fried cicadas for $22. The chocolate shop said that it uses cicadas that have already shed their exco-skeleton and are in their young adult stage.
National Donut Day has come and gone, but that doesn't mean you can't celebrate cicada season with a cicada doughnut. Good Company Doughnuts and Cafe in Arlington offers a special-edition doughnut with a cicada design on top. The doughnut features mocha espresso buttercream and chocolate ganache. No cicadas were harmed in the making of this pastry.
Good Company says the Brood X doughnut will be available for the month of June and then won't be available again for another 17 years.
For those on the hunt for another cicada dessert, consider Toby's Ice Cream and Coffee, also in Arlington. That shop is offering cicada sundaes that look way more tasty than the bugs they're inspired by.
The sundae is made with Oreo and coffee ice cream.
Experts say the Brood X cicadas will be in the DMV until about mid-to-late June before their song fades away for another 17 years, so get your cicada sweets while you can!
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