Wednesday, July 30, 2008

POD, IPOD,ISPOD, ISOPOD

I read a scholarly article about pillbugs a long time ago that described how the author cooked and ate some of them out of curiosity.
After all, they are crustaceans and not too distant relatives of the delicious decapod clan. It's logical that this guy who studied them might have considered their table possibilities.
I believe he stir-fried them as I recall.
He described the flavor as being similar to urine.
I pondered that comparison for a while after reading the article, but decided to just let it go ...

I like pillbugs, rollypollies, sowbugs ... not as lunch or anything like that.
I can't really put my finger on why they bring a smile, but they just seem likeable.

It looks like this one may have a tiny hitchiker of some kind just behind and left of his face.

They always seem to have something to do or someplace important to go. Never do I lift up a log to find them just napping or chillin'.
They may have mastered the bug equivalent of "Look busy, here comes the boss" or they may actually be as "busy as a bee", only without the need to show off by flying about, buzzing, etc.



Could it be ... SamuraISOPOD?

Hai!

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

How did he know what urine tastes like to make the comparison?

threecollie said...

What Kevin said...how did he know?
And why did he wanna know?
And those are great photos, but I am not all that fond of the creepy little critters.

robin andrea said...

A wonderful tribute to the little critters, fc. I see them all the time, and I've never given them a second thought or look. I may have to now, though, but I won't stir-fry them, after this culinary review.

Anonymous said...

They are fun to watch, up until they've gotten into the melon and veggie patch. they can do some real damage in no time. Good close-up shots.

Bro J

SophieMae said...

SuPILLior snaps! 'specially the last one... king of the pill! Now say Armadillidiidae 3 times fast. 8-]

My first thought was also 'how did he know?'.

SwampAngel65 said...

IZOD!

You're pictures amaze me. Honestly, you can make a pillbug look cute!

Anonymous said...

Doodlebugs! Love 'em. I once collected a shoebox-full of them and took them to school. Don't recall what my ultimate plan was (this was, what, forty-something years ago, third grade), but by lunch time, they had made the collective decision to go on walkabout in the classroom. This was not well-received by my teacher, but I thought it was very exciting.

R.Powers said...

Kevin,
I know ... it bothers me to this day to ponder that ...

3C,
Funny that these creep you out of all things :)

Robin,
I promise they will never be the subject of one of my Friday Florida Food Fest posts.

Bro J,
I've never seen them in the pest role, more as the compost pile decomposer.

Sophie,
That concept seems to be bothering most of us.

Swampangel,
I just told them to "work it baby!"

Mary,
See, now THAT was a teachable moment. I love those.

Unknown said...

do yours roll up to be pillbugs?

ditto kevin. we're all on that page.

they do compete with us for garden veggies. i like them. great bug for kids.

i MIGHT consider trying some insect eaten in another culture. or not. who eats pill bugs? i did watch fried crickets being eaten. i declined.

Sandcastle Momma said...

I've always loved rolly-pollies! I think they are some of the cutest in the bug/little critter family.
I'm still laughing at the thought of them saying here comes the boss LOL

And of course I'm wondering about the question of the day as well but hey, the guy eats rolly-pollies so I guess his comparison shouldn't be surprising. I'd like to know his name so I can decline if I'm ever invited to dinner at his house LOL

R.Powers said...

roger,
perhaps he had been in one of those desperate life raft scenarios ...

SCMomma,
I need to be the boss of something!
LOL!

VitaminSea said...

I am so glad you didn't follow the first few paragraphs with... "so I got out a frying pan and a little garlic..."

whew!

Did ya get the lawn mowed?? ;)

Anonymous said...

I bet thunder has a recipes for them and willing to try it. As you know nothing is uneaten in china.LOL S T E B

Dr. Know said...

We have tons of them, but it is my understanding - and observation - that they do not actually eat your plants, they feed on the decomposing litter underneath. And they do rest, just not when someone lifts their cover and they flee for their little lives.

As for school projects, I took Black Widows to school. It was even less accepted than Mary's, and resulted in a trip to school for my parents. Hand-wringers...

Sayre said...

Love the samuri-poly shot! I was actually thinking the same thing before I saw your caption. Love me some rolly-polys - but not for dinner!

Just the Right Size said...

Maybe he thought they tasted like what urine SMELLS like? Ick.

When I was a kid, we used to get a whole bunch of them together and try to play a miniature version of "pool" when they rolled up.

It never worked, our "pool balls" kept walking away.

R.Powers said...

Laura,
I think it would take a LOT of garlic.
The mowflexers mowed enough so it actually appears that someone lives here.

STEB,
Perhaps I could start an export business in pillbugs.

Doc,
I think that's guilt by association too.

Sayre,
I'm glad it wasn't just me who saw a fat samurai in that pic.

Just Right,
Let's hope so.
What did you use as pool cues, walking sticks?

Dr. Know said...

Doc,
I think that's guilt by association too.


Hmm - that statements is vague enough to make the mind reel...
Great pictures, BTW. Especially the one of Klaatu.

Alan said...

"Crouching Pillbug, Hidden Rollypolly" coming to a theatre near you?