Entomophagy in Oaxaca, Mexico

According to written historical records, the Aztecs enjoyed a wide variety of edible insects, including honey ants, caterpillars and the eggs of aquatic beetles. These insects were considered the food of royalty, and many are still eaten as rare delicacies today, albeit mostly in rural areas. However, in the southern state of Oaxaca, one particular insect is found in abundance, and sold at affordable prices - Chapulines!

Chapulines is the plural of chapulin, which is the common Spanish term used for Sphenarium spp grasshoppers:

The photo above shows how chapulines are typically sold in the marketplace in Oaxaca city - in large quantities, in multiple flavours (typically garlic, chilli, and lemon) and in multiple sizes (small, medium and large are approximately 0.5cm, 1.5cm and 2.5cm in length). For 20MXN I was given a generous handful of medium-sized grasshoppers.

Domestic demand for chapulines is high, but since they are a common crop pest in the region, populations are currently limited due to pesticide use. Recent research suggests that limited use of agrochemicals, mimicking traditional pre-hispanic farming methods, could lead to a significant rise in the chapulines harvest.

Another insect that can be found at some market stalls is the guano, also known as the 'Agave worm'. It is a Coleoptera (beetle/weevil) larva, and it is found in the Agave cactus, a plant of great cultural importance in Oaxaca. Unlike the abundant chapulines, these insects are comparatively rare and prices are high - for 5MXN we were given just two worms!

The Agave cactus is important in Oaxaca because it is used to make Mezcal, a distilled spirit with a smoky flavour. There are 59 species of Agave cactus, meaning that there are many different types of mezcal available to try, and entire bars dedicated to mescal alone. (My favourite was a very smoky flavoured 'pechuga' mezcal, although a quick google search suggests that this is either flavoured with raw chicken or triple distilled - I think I'll choose to believe the latter, & not ask any further questions...)

Finally, one other insect is particularly important to Oaxaca, although not as food. Like the 'gusano' worm, it lives on a cactus:

These tiny little white sacs in the photo above each contain a cochineal beetle. Each beetle is just 3mm in length, but it is thanks to this beetle that Oaxaca was an incredibly rich city in colonial times. This is because Oaxaca was able to export large quantities of the beetle's product, cochineal dye, to fabric manufacturers across the world. Cochineal-based dye is still used in common food products today. 

Here is what happens if you crush a cochineal beetle between your fingers:

I was in Mexico to visit Aspire FG, a Canadian-based social enterprise working to develop high density insect breeding facilities in the Oaxaca region and elsewhere. As with many edible insects, demand currently outstrips supply, and Aspire FG are hoping to develop ways to increase supply of chapulines and make them more accessible to those who could benefit from them most.