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At This MLB Ballpark, Bugs Are A Best Seller

Column: industry Tag: Stadium Food,Grasshoppers,Baseball Concessions,Unique Novelty Item Published: 2024-09-03 17:24 Source: www.mashed.com Author: MARIA SCINTO

Stadium food may not be quite as over-the-top as state fair food, but that doesn't stop certain ballparks from trying. From the jackalope dogs of Coors Field (which we rank as one of MLB's best ballpark foods) to the Reese's peanut butter cup-topped barbecue at Kauffman Stadium (which we chose as one of the worst stadium offerings in 2022), baseball concessions these days are a far cry from peanuts and Cracker Jack (or Cracker Jill, which celebrates women in sports, for that matter). Nowhere is that more apparent than at T-Mobile Park, home of the Seattle Mariners, where the stands are filled with people snacking on fried grasshoppers.

Is bug-eating big in Seattle? While the city doesn't seem to have any insect-centric restaurants, a few local eateries have featured them on the menu at one time or another, and at T-Mobile Park, the grasshoppers (also known as chapulines) have been a best-selling item since they were introduced in 2017. In fact, the first year they were offered, the entire supply sold out on opening day, so the concessionaires had to order more in a hurry. In 2019, the chapulines were featured at MLB FoodFest, a multi-city event showcasing each stadium's best foods. As of the 2024 season, they remain on the menu at stadium concessions stand Edgar's Cantina.

Why are the grasshoppers so popular?

When the Seattle Mariners first started selling grasshoppers, they thought of them as a unique novelty item but didn't expect to sell too many. At the time, Poquitos, a local Mexican restaurant, had them on the menu, so the Mariners partnered with the eatery to bring bugs to the ballpark. The restaurant was selling less than 30 pounds a year (and now no longer seems to offer them at all), but the Mariners wound up needing 400 pounds to get through the season. So, why is everyone in the ballpark going buggy for fried grasshoppers? It may be more for the experience (or the 'gram) than the flavor.

It's not that the grasshoppers taste unpleasant. In fact, they don't have much flavor at all. Some have described the insect meat as floury, although the chile-lime coating pretty much drowns out any buggy taste. Others think they taste like flavored sunflower seeds, with perhaps a slight hint of raisin or some earthy notes underneath the spicy coating. For the most part, Redditors commenting on a Mariners subreddit thread about the grasshoppers weren't too impressed with the taste but felt that they made for a fun tradition and a great stadium snack to share with friends while bonding over beers. The chapulines could even be a source of pride for some fans. While the Mariners might not make the playoffs most years and have zero World Series appearances to their credit, at least they've got their bugs.

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