Ashlee Horne took a swig of tequila before popping a cicada into her mouth.

The Nashville native, who has weathered her share of 13-year cicada cycles, handled it with far more grace than a Fear Factor contestant. There were no tears. No trips to the nearest restroom. After all, the insects have been enjoyed as culinary delicacies around the world for centuries. So why not in her kitchen in East Nashville?

“We talked about it and (her husband, Jeffrey) said, ‘You know people really eat them,’ ” she recalled, talking over dinner recently. “One of our relatives even said they taste really good with tempura batter and buttermilk.”