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Bubba

Oct 18, 2005, 7:26 PM

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On The Subject of Traditional Foods of Mexico

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Ah, Canal Once. What would I do without my weekly local food shows on this national educational channel. Tonight we visited an indigenous village in the northern deserts where we learned the etiquette of eating tarantulas which are considered a local delicacy in that rural area. While my prose lacks the impact of watching this repast on television I can give you some clues on how to enjoy this treat.

First, you take the tarantulas and throw them on an open fire to roast them. Then, you take them from the fire and crush the body between the palms of your hands. The legs are then eaten the way one eats crabs., In other words the delicate flesh is sucked out of the legs. As best I could tell, the meat in the body itself is not consumed. It is traditional to clean one's teeth with the claws (or whatever) after finishing off the legs.

Our host was induced to join our indigenous friends in this feast. He did not seem to be enjoying himself that much but who knows. He indicated that the flavor reminded him of shrimp (AKA Cucarachas del Mar)

Chef Bubba.

Rolly

Oct 18, 2005, 7:34 PM

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Re: [Bubba] On The Subject of Traditional Foods of Mexico

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I can go for chocolate covered ants, but I'm not too sure about char-broiled tarantulas. An acquired taste, perhaps.

Rolly Pirate

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song_of_joy

Oct 18, 2005, 9:23 PM

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Re: [Rolly] On The Subject of Traditional Foods of Mexico

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Gag!

I had a pet tarantula way back when, and was the only mom in my sons' school who could teach the rowdy little boys how to handle live tarantulas (and anacondas and caiman). Outside school hours, of course.

Okay, I'm way weirder than that degree in anthropoloogy (or refined Southern lady exterior) would suggest.

But all God's creatures have their niche. Poor spiders. It's probably less protein in the human diet than carbohydrate (assuming their exoskeleton is comformed of chitin).

HHERRINGTON

Oct 19, 2005, 8:10 AM

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Re: [Bubba] On The Subject of Traditional Foods of Mexico

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Bubba why would a person who obviously has consumed more then his share of deep fried possum not get in the spirit of the local village of eating tarantulas? I suspect if they had offered you RC Cola as a drink you would have been chomping tarantulas legs with the best of them.
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Bubba

Oct 19, 2005, 6:44 PM

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Re: [HHERRINGTON] On The Subject of Traditional Foods of Mexico

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Now lissen here H. Your intrepid reported Bubba did not express an opinion on the subject of ingesting tarantula legs. Bubba was simply passing on hints for going native for gringo expats wishing to fit in while visiting indigenous villages. Since Bubba has it on good authority that the average candy bar sold in the United States has six insect legs imbedded therein, taking the leap to sucking the succulent flesh from a trantula leg should not be difficult. As for RC Cola, the required accompaniment for that drink, as you know, is a Moon Pie and God only knows what's in that.

Cynthia7

Oct 19, 2005, 9:49 PM

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Re: [Bubba] On The Subject of Traditional Foods of Mexico

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Now, Bubba, just think..Moon Pies are made of 2 cookies with marshmallow in the middle and dipped in chocolate. They have been around about 88 years...now they come with banana or strawberry. I remember when we hoped that the RC would be frozen and/or we could add salted peanuts to the RC. For you who have been deprived of RC - Royal Crown- or Grapette-(Now being made by Walmart) your blood sugar is much happier. Moon Pies are available in Mexico..by the way.

Caarina12

Oct 20, 2005, 8:35 AM

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Re: [Bubba] On The Subject of Traditional Foods of Mexico

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Ahhh... the glories of insect cuisine...

After eating jumiles (an acquired taste), gusanitos de maguey (ok when ground up), live termites (in South America--too squirmy. want my food dead) and chapulines (very good), I'm up for the challenge... I still want to try the flying ants--I think they're called chicatanas-- from Veracruz...

An anthopologist friend of mine told me of a type of ant in the Mixteca that kids eat. They chomp off the posterior section with their teeth to eat the sweet nectar that's collected there. If they eat it carefully, it doesn't kill the ants and it's made into a kind of competition with the kids. (who can eat the most ants without killing them?)

Since we probably inhale/eat more insects than we care to admit, why not?

I also just think of it as supply/demand. You need food, tarantulas available... start up the campfire! How else do you think that people decided to eat one of the most hostile plants in the world---the cactus!?

C

jennifer rose

Oct 20, 2005, 9:03 AM

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Re: [Caarina12] On The Subject of Traditional Foods of Mexico

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Are bugs and insects any different from lobster and shrimp?