Never one to shy away from exotic foods, I finally crossed the line into the world of creepy-crawlies: I ate chapulines.
In plain English – grasshoppers.
They are a staple in our favorite Oaxacan restaurant “Guelaguetza” on 8th Street. Our friendly waiter sang the praises of the dish, so how could I resist? The little critters were very tasty and slightly crunchy, having been toasted with garlic, lemon juice and sal de gusano on a clay cooking surface called comal. One only needs to pulls off the legs, apart from that one eats them whole.
So that was that. Tasty and slightly unusual for someone not growing up in Oaxaca. The question after such an experience is always: Will I add this treat to my list of foods I could eat all the time? Well… no. Why? Quite simple: The aesthetics are a bit off.
However, I could well imagine to eat chapulines again if they came as tempura, with the direct visual impact somewhat softened by the batter.
Does that make me a grasshopper wimp?
Well, when one thinks of the stuff we routinely eat, grasshoppers aren’t so bad, really. I would certainly try them.
Hey, does that not prove that women are braver than men? William declined, he just could not bring himself to try them.
The strange thing really is, they are tasty! It is just the sight of the thingies which turns me off a bit.
Way too cool that someone even had the idea of turning them into a delicacy. At first, the thought of eating a critter I love so much would probably make me hesitate. I grew up playing with grasshoppers. However, giving the subject a second thought, I’d probably eat the delicacy. After all, when their population becomes too big, they become a plague, right? So that’s a nice way of controlling their number!
According to some sources they have been eaten in Oaxaca since the 16th century, as I have learned.
But please tell me – how does one play with a grasshopper? They do tend to hop away…