Seattle Mariners Selling Toasted Grasshoppers At Games

The days of hot dogs, burgers, Cracker Jack, cotton candy and peanuts at baseball stadiums are long gone. Each year Major League Baseball teams come out with new, eye-catching and mouth-watering concoctions to offer to their patrons.

From sushi to pulled pork sandwiches and crab cakes, ballpark food is always evolving. Safeco Field, home to the Seattle Mariners, has taken its menu one step further. This season, grasshoppers headline the menu.

You read that correctly.

Known as chapulines, these grasshoppers are popular in Mexico and Central America. They are toasted and tossed in chili lime salt. An order of chapulines at Safeco Field costs $4.

Looking to try something different?
Hop on over to @SafecoField this season and try our Chapulines (toasted Oaxacan grasshoppers). pic.twitter.com/I3B3Y6ewQj
— Safeco Foodie (@SafecoFieldEats) April 6, 2017
“We don’t expect to sell a lot of them, but it’s a fun thing to offer and it’s authentic,” Mariners spokesperson Rebecca Hale told ESPN’s Darren Rovell.

Studies have shown grasshoppers and insects have nutritional value. A 3.5 ounce serving of grasshoppers can contain 14-28 grams of protein. Grasshoppers and crickets are also a good source of unsaturated fats.

So, would you skip the hot dog and order the grasshoppers next time you’re at the ballpark?

About the author

Michael LoRé

Sports Editor

Michael has been obsessed with sports since he started playing recreationally when he was 5 years old. Realizing he couldn't make it as a professional athlete and was a decent enough writer, the lightbulb went off: sports journalist. After honing his craft at the University of Delaware, Michael has covered anything and everything from scholastic field hockey to the World Series. Born and raised in New Jersey, Michael now lives in New York City, having worked most recently for New York City FC and the NHL. His favorite sport is soccer.