Chapulines, some Mexican edible grasshoppers !

Edible grasshoppers, a delicacy in Mexico

Many people in Mexico eat their burritos with chicken or beef, but not in Oaxaca! In this city, the inhabitants eat them with chapulines, edible grasshoppers, gently fried in oil and seasoned with pepper, garlic and lemon.

This food is common in this region, edible grasshoppers have been eaten for more than 3000 years! They can be eaten as a snack with a fresh beer that will create a clear contrast with the sourness of the preparation. They can also be added as a garniture of many dishes, they will add the typical crispiness of edible insects. When we meet people who told us that they already tried edible grasshoppers, they often claim that they made this delicious discovery in Mexico.

Mexico, THE country to eat grasshoppers and other edible insects

Mexico is one of the top country for edible insects. With the work of scientists, more than 500 of species of edible insects have been classified. We can find some various species outside of our famous roasted grasshoppers! As an example, we can talk about the Ahuatle a famous recipe made out of aquatic insects’ egg or the famous ant egg caviar call Escamoled. One meal can cost up to 20 euros!

Getting chapulines require energy and stamina! These grasshoppers are not farmed but wild caught in nature. Instead of being seen as a pest, they are considered as true delicacies. When we think about it, that’s an irony to use pesticide to get rid of a food containing more than 50% of proteins to cultivate one containing less than 10%…

Let’s get to the preparation and it’s always a big challenge as you can see in this video.

As you just discovered, eating grasshoppers in Mexico is an incredible and tasty adventure!

If you want to discover our own version of Mexican grasshopper, check out our Paprika seasoned grasshopper.