...at least according to these critters! They are Kamemushi ( Turtle Bug), and this fall there has been a much larger number of them invading the house. Local wisdom says this means heavier than usual snowfall this winter.
Members of the Pentatomidae family of bugs, in English they are commonly known as Stinkbugs because of the unpleasant smell they excrete when attacked. Many Japanese women and kids freak out if they see one as if it were a deadly creature, but in fact the smell is a little unpleasant but not that bad. Japanese say the smell of Cilantro is like that of the kamemushi, ..one reason freash cilantro is hard to find in Japanese supermarkets.
In Vietnam they eat the bugs. From personal experience I can tell you that even after cooking they remain crunchy!!
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As a children in Australia , my friends and myself would fill a brown paper bag with "Stink Bugs" give it a really good shaking ,seal the top with a rubber band and throw it under a mates sister's bed and the smell would be there for quiet a while,good for a laugh and sister would be ballistic.
ReplyDeleteIt would be nice to have some snow this year - let's see if it comes!
ReplyDeleteI'm realy hoping for a white Tokyo this year.
ReplyDeleteCool. I never know what those were called in Japanese and I've never heard that about snow. Good info.
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