Toasted grasshoppers are on the menu at the Seattle Mariners' Safeco Field this year, but it remains to be seen whether patrons will jump at the opportunity to eat bugs.
The chili-lime-flavored insects will be offered by local Mexican restaurant Poquitos at a stand behind the outfield wall called The Pen.
“They are a one-of-a-kind snack that the fans will really love — either on a taco or on their own,” Steve Dominguez, general manager of concessionaire Centerplate, told ESPN. “It’s a testament to our relationship with the Mariners to be bold and creative with bringing in new local partners that really embody the Seattle culinary scene.”
The Mariners were also the first team to offer sushi to fans, partly due to their Japanese ownership, ESPN reported.
Sports Illustrated’s Jon Tayler lauded the toasted grasshoppers, calling them a refreshing change from the overly large, fatty portions of “lazy and visually upsetting meat and bread” that most ballparks are calling different these days.
Grasshoppers are high in protein and low in fat, Tayler pointed out. He also said they are environmentally friendly food products, compared to beef and pork.
“Kudos to the Mariners for going in a different direction than the rest of baseball,” Tayler wrote.
USA Today’s For The Win agreed, saying that if the grasshoppers taste anything like the deep-fried scorpions columnist Ted Berg once had, they would be “totally delicious.” He also said a bowl of anything at an MLB ballpark for $4 would be a “great deal,” adding, “You’ll get no judgements out of me.”
Twitter users were skeptical, to say the least.