Dragonfly Delicacies!

Yes, dragonflies... although I can't imagine wanting to kill one as a food source, since they have much greater value as mosquito-eating machines in my books!

Here, the Balinese use dragonflies as one of the ingredients to one of their special dishes:  Pepes.

How do you catch a dragonfly?
Well, with a long thin strip of bamboo covered in the sticky sap of the jackfruit tree... not to be mistaken for a fishing pole.

Pepes Preparation?
The legs and wings are removed, and the insect is ready to cook!

Only one of the ingredients?
The cooked dragonflies are added to a pounded mixture which also contains:
coconut paste
fermented fish paste
garlic
chilis
tamarind juice
basil leaves
ginger
and lime juice

The complete mixture (paste) is wrapped into individual banana leaf packets and grilled to make pepes.  I tried pepes once (before I knew of its special ingredient), and I must say, I really didn't think it was anything special... and I certainly couldn't taste the dragonfly flavour!?