Stinkbugs (Southern Africa)

Stinkbugs deliver a protein-packed crunch at 35% protein by weight, far exceeding the 20% average of conventional chicken. Encosternum delegorguei are washed to remove defensive aldehydes, then sun-dried into a snack that tastes like roasted seeds with a faint metallic aftertaste. At $8 per pound in Zimbabwe, they are 50% cheaper than #5 Hákarl's imported price, with tradition ensuring defensive chemical residue causes only mild numbness when improperly prepared.