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RonMader

Feb 12, 2006, 8:24 AM

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Grasshoppers

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Announcement - Migration, Development and Chapulines -- Ohio State University Professor Jeffrey Cohen's work focuses on migration, development and nutrition. His current project, supported by the National Geographic Society, highlights the use and value of chapulines (grasshoppers) in Oaxaca.

Join us for a presentation on Wednesday, Feb 15th from 2-330pm at Amigos del Sol, Libres #109, Oaxaca City. Details
http://www.planeta.com/.../oaxaca/options.html

I'll post a brief follow-up in this topic after the talk.

Bubba

Feb 14, 2006, 7:22 AM

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Re: [RonMader] Grasshoppers

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We were in Teotitlan del Valle. Oaxaca at a fiesta when the local youth tried to trick me into eating grasshoppers. I told them that my wife was French and that she ate snails and frogs legs so I would eat their fried grasshoppers if they would eat snails and frog's legs.

They were appalled that anyone would eat snails and frogs' legs and one of the young girls exclaimed, "Ugh! If I had to live in France I would just die!"

Gayla

Feb 14, 2006, 12:49 PM

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Re: [Bubba] Grasshoppers

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Ah, come on Bubba, where's your sense of culinary adventure ;-). Chapulines are nothing more than crispy critters, kind of like a Mexican Crunchy Cheeto.............and the little legs don't even get stuck in your teeth. Really, they don't taste like much of anything, but the sight of them can be a little unsettling. Be thankful they didn't try to induce you to eat dried agave worms............the kind that go into the bottles of cheap mezcal being sold to tourists and exported NOB. Those are scarier than the grasshoppers and not nearly as tasty. Trust me on this one................

Bubba

Feb 14, 2006, 3:59 PM

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Re: [Gayla] Grasshoppers

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That post was about the Zapatecos' fear of snails and frog legs, not Bubba's fear of fried grasshoppers. One person's diseased fatted liver made by torturing helpless geese or ducks is another person's foie gras. I happen to love foie gras because I don't have to observe the process. On the other hand, watching those grasshoppesr squirming about in the oil while being fried alive really bothers me.

Having eaten agave worms, I can attest to their excellent taste Reminds me of mescal.

(This post was edited by Bubba on Feb 14, 2006, 4:11 PM)

sfmacaws

Feb 14, 2006, 9:55 PM

Post #5 of 11 (1916 views)

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Re: [Gayla] Grasshoppers

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I think a "sense of culinary adventure" is a highly overrated trait. If you don't like the "idea" of eating grasshoppers, why would you? I have to like the idea of a food to eat it, I fail to understand any reason to overcome revulsion in the name of culinary adventure. The last thing I want in my food is adventure.

Jonna - Mérida, Yucatán

Gayla

Feb 14, 2006, 11:33 PM

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Re: [sfmacaws] Grasshoppers

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Which brings to mind that old hippie phrase - "different strokes for different folks" I guess.

One of my greatests pleasures in traveling is eating and exploring the local cuisine. I get a real sense of place from eating, I'm hard wired for it. Well, that and 30 years in the food business. I'll put just about anything in my mouth at least once. Doesn't mean I'll swallow or try it again, sometimes once really enough ;-). Don't tell me what it is I'm eating. Let me decide in blissful ignorance whether or not I like something (huitlacloche - NOT); the mind plays funny tricks, often aided and abetted by the eyes.

wendy devlin

Feb 17, 2006, 7:41 AM

Post #7 of 11 (1872 views)

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Re: [Bubba] Grasshoppers

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Bubba's post reminds me of that scene in New York when Crocodile Dundee says to the hoods, "You call that a knife. THIS is a knife!"

Once we were camping alongside a group of men down for a weekend of fun from Guadalajara. The next morning, they were cooking huevos mexicanos, tortillas, frijoles etc. over their open fire.

We were cooking pancakes on our camp stove.

They offered us, especially the kids, their food.

We offered them some pancakes. You'd think that we'd offered them frogs legs:)

Anonimo

Feb 17, 2006, 11:31 AM

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Re: [wendy devlin] Grasshoppers

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Wendy, I haven't seen frogs for sale around here (Pátzcauro), but I do know they were on offer at Santiago Tiaguistenco, southeast of Toluca.
I seem to remember the word, alcociles, which if I recall correctly, has something to do with frogs, but I'm not sure.

Buen provecho,
Anonimo
Oops! It's not frogs, but crawfish:

Quote

On this page:
<hr>
Wikipedia
Acocil
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Decapoda
Suborder: Pleocyemata
Infraorder: Astacidea
Superfamily: Astacoidea
Family: Cambaridae
Genus: Cambarellus
Species: C. montezumae
& C. zempoalensis
Binomial name
Cambarellus montezumae
Saussure, 1857
Binomial name
Cambarellus zempaolensis
Villalobos, 1943

Acocil is the name for either of two species of freshwater crayfish endemic to Mexico - Cambarellus montezumae and Cambarellus zempoalensis. The former species is widespread in ponds, lakes, lagoons and reservoirs, including, for example, the Guadalupe Victoria dam; the latter is known only from its type locality, the Lagunas de Zempoala in the State of Morelos. They both feed on decaying plants and animals. The name acocil is derived from the Nahuatl word acotzilli. Acocil were an important food source for the ancient Mexicans or Aztecs.

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

(This post was edited by Anonimo on Feb 17, 2006, 11:35 AM)

wendy devlin

Feb 17, 2006, 1:15 PM

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Re: [Anonimo] Grasshoppers

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You may not find many frogs for sale...but yes, Anomino, I have seen fresh water crayfish for sale. But not for sale for the markets in Colima(the only state I know anything on this particular topic:) but to restaurants.

I have a fisherman friend who makes much of his living, selling these critters.
(He doesn't make a lot of money, fishing. And what he makes, he drinks away...but that's a story for another time:)

He also sets up this strange looking branch(reed) teepees in the rivers, baits them and catches the crawfish that way. From what I've seen of them, they don't get very large. Fresh water langostinas that I've eaten in another restaurant were caught in a presa.

More food there perhaps for them to eat...or less hungry people:)

Now...shall we discuss hunting for iguanas?

esperanza

Feb 17, 2006, 3:55 PM

Post #10 of 11 (1846 views)

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Re: [Anonimo] Grasshoppers

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Look on restaurant menus for ancas de rana--frogs' legs. You'll find some, even in Pátzcuaro.

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

Anonimo

Feb 17, 2006, 4:42 PM

Post #11 of 11 (1843 views)

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Re: [esperanza] Grasshoppers

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Truth is, I don't really like frog's legs all that much. To me, that taste like fishy chicken.

Buen provecho,
Anonimo