In the not so distant past it was quite acceptable to eat wild animals and birds that we would never consider now. In the First World War, for instance, the countryside used to provide a great proportion of the food for rural dwellers.

Hedgehog was considered a delicacy. It was wrapped in clay and baked in the ashes of a fire for about 15 minutes. When the clay was broken open the skin and prickles came away with it, leaving the cooked flesh which would be eaten with watercress, and bread and butter. Badger hams were smoked over a fire, preferably of birchwood, and rats were stuffed with herbs and breadcrumbs and roasted in a hot oven.

Maybe collecting and eating the larvae and caterpillars of the Large White butterfly that munches its way through cabbages in your kitchen garden would be a satisfying (but not to your hunger!) and natural way to get revenge. Grasshoppers, on the other hand, seem like a lot of work for very little return. They were collected in June and after they were fried in butter, all but the thighs were discarded!