Lanternflies Made into Sweet Treats at Local Cafe

Renowned chef, Lumiere Mouche, has always loved experimenting with unusual foods. Growing up in Lyon, France, she learned to cook from her grandmother before attending culinary school in Paris. "My grandmother was the one who taught me that the exotic could be delicious. She would cook with almost any plant she found in her garden, and while we often became violently ill after eating her dishes, often she would create something truly wonderful." Later, Chef Mouche spent several years as a dessert chef in some of the best restaurants in New York, bringing her unique approach to the desserts she served. "It was a great experience for me, and if some customers had not become violently ill after eating my banana peel tarts, I might still be working in the city."

Luckily for the Jersey Shore, the city's loss is our gain. Chef Mouche recently opened her patisserie called Cafe Mouche in Point Pleasant Beach and her unique approach is winning raves from her patrons. Her latest creation is a line of treats made with lanternflies.

"When there was an invasion of cicadas, everyone started eating them," said Chef Mouche. "Personally, I found them to be a bit too buggy. Still, I thought it was great that when life gave us lemons, we made bug-flavored lemonade. That's what gave me the idea to make use of the lanternflies that are everywhere right now. I thought, wouldn't it be great to make something yummy out of these destructive, creepy insects!"

Chef Lumiere has come up with a wide variety of lanternfly-based confections. She offers chocolate covered lanternfly truffles, lanternfly muffins, and lanternfly butter cookies. However, her most popular creation is her lanternfly bubble tea, or as Chef Lumiere calls it, "Buggle Tea".

"Everyone loves Bubble Tea with the tasty 'Boba' tapioca balls on the bottom," said Chef Lumiere. "It occurred to me that I could substitute the Boba with lanternfly nymphs. The nymphs are the right size and I have found when I boil them in sugared water, the appendages fall off while the bugs absorb the sweet sugar. I then strain out the legs and antennas and I have delicious bug Boba! They're a bit more savory and insect-flavored than usual Boba, but people seem to like them."

Chef Lumiere feels that turning the lanternflies into edibles that people enjoy is a win-win. "I'm helping to reduce the number of destructive insects and providing something yummy for everyone to enjoy. Best of all, hardly anyone has become violently ill so far!"

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