Locusts are considered medicinal and a culinary delicacy in Saudi Arabia.
The reason Saudis love eating the yellow bugs? Sexual boosting! Old men are the souk’s biggest customers and they eat the insects in place of taking viagra - they consider their effect much stronger than that of the blue pills!
Despite the Ministry of Health warnings against eating the pesticide-sprayed locusts, there’s been a huge turnout to one souk in Ha’il in northwestern Saudi where large numbers of locusts are packed into plastic bags and sold to the public. Many are adding the “delicacy” to their Ramadan menu this year.
Speaking to Gulf News in 2008, one of the vendors claimed "that by eating locust you can cure diabetes, high blood pressure and heart diseases".
Each bag sells for 27-100 US Dollars, depending on the vendors, who claim to have caught the insects from the desert adjacent to Ha’il several days ago.
