To Eat a Cricket
Posted in Mexico by Malena on April 12th, 2008 9:54 pm

Well, the overwhelming majority of commenters in the last entry voted in favor of “Malena Eating a Cricket.” Thanks guys! I’ll remember it! Hopefully this whets your appetite…

Monte Alban
Monte Alban
Everyone who visits Oaxaca talks about the crickets, but they actually aren’t that easy to find. Between the fruit and tortilla sellers, there is a stall or two in the large food marketplace with spiced, fried crickets, but the flies buzzing around the baskets and my nerves about eating particularly “fresh and juicy” crickets made me look for a slightly less exciting (and more hygienic) option. I remembered one of the chocolate stores sold little bags of dehydrated Oaxacan crickets, so I set out to find it. Thirty minutes of circling the same 4 block span of the city, I finally found the single chocolate store that also sold delicious, non-fresh and juicy crickets for human consumption. The price of 1 dollar seemed a little steep, and on the basis of the dusty, little touched display I don’t think these are particularly hot sellers. Nonetheless, I went for it and got a bag, promising to dissect and eat the cricket… “later.”

Bag of Crickets
Bag of Crickets
Crickets (or chapulines) have long been eaten in the Oaxaca region. Before the arrival of the Spaniards, eating crickets helped provide the Zaputecs with protein. On a recent trip to Monte Alban, several of the signs posted discussed the importance of crickets (along with other plants and animals) in the native lifestyle. Today, crickets are normally flavored with some salt, lime juice and chili powder before being fried or roasted. Used in tortillas or just as a snack, they are still amazingly popular with a number of Oaxacans - and even those who don’t like crickets have still tried them!

So… tonight, after a few goodbye glasses of wine and a delicious chicken dinner with the extremely kind family who has been putting up with me for the last few weeks, I finally decided to go for it. It may have been the fact that I’m finally leaving Oaxaca tomorrow, or it may have been the wine (OK - it was the wine) but I finally headed over to grab the bag of crickets I’ve been hording for several days. Mmm… they still looked tasty!

Partially Dissected Cricket
Partially Dissected Cricket
I decided the first step was to dissect the cricket. In particular, I was extremely worried about the possibility of eating juicy cricket brain or eyeballs or guts or something equally disgusting. Fortunately, it appeared the dehydration process had worked. The interior was just as hard and crunchy as the exterior. Also, the eyeballs crumbled when I poked at them with my knife. Excellent. There were no more excuses. I needed to eat the cricket….

So! I went for it. I grabbed my glass of wine, along with an emergency glass of water, and added a little hot sauce to the cricket (this isn’t cheating since the dehydrated crickets don’t include chili powder.) Then I enlisted my aunt to take some pictures of me holding and eating the cricket as proof that the deed was, indeed, done.

Hmm, Maybe It Won't be So Bad!
Hmm, Maybe It Won't be So Bad!
The end result? Well, the first taste wasn’t too bad… then all the flavor of the hot sauce disappeared and I was left with a mouthful of pure, unadultured cricket flavor. There were hints of salt and lime, but the overwhelming taste was one of minerals and protein. Sort of like eating a multi-vitamin only crunchier and with legs and eyeballs. Also, the cricket was sort of flaky so bits would get stuck in my teeth. It definitely didn’t taste like a French fry - I think maybe it was too dry for that. The flavor was very distinctive… actually, sort of like what I would imagine a cricket would taste like! It was almost metallic. Not the favorite thing I’ve eaten in Oaxaca, by far. I only ate one and the worst part was the way the taste lingered in my mouth afterwards. Hours later, I can still kind of taste it. Ew.

While Chewing the Cricket
While Chewing the Cricket
So, there you have it! I ate a cricket… as I am not the most adventurous of eaters I’m pretty proud of myself, even though it was only a measly cricket. I’m definitely not going to eat a spider in Southeast Asia, sorry folks.

*****

So, there you have it! I’m leaving Oaxaca tomorrow (albeit without my bank cards, which have STILL not arrived.) I’ll be in San Cristobal to enjoy the supposedly picturesque town, the higher altitude and thus cooler weather, and hopefully the opportunity to horseback ride. Preferably without falling off the horse like the last time I tried. Hmm, maybe I should just stay in Oaxaca.

« Crickets?
Of Bubble Gum and Chili Powder »

01
Quita
posting from United States
April 13th, 2008 4:45 am

There’s nothing like expanding your epicurean horizons, is there? Well done, Malena! Hope your bank card situation is sorted soon. Love - Auntie Quita

02
Ramsey
posting from United States
April 13th, 2008 6:39 am

Great job, we are so proud of you!!! Have fun in San Cristobal and If you go riding “Keep a leg on both sides” we always say!!

03
Eric Stubbs
posting from United States
April 13th, 2008 8:21 am

Good job! Well done.

04
Timothy
posting from United States
April 13th, 2008 10:16 am

Malena, I’m so proud of you!! ;-)

I would share your same concerns about not wanting to bite into a wet, juicy, squishy cricket…so it’s good to know that the dehydrated ones aren’t so bad! Maybe I’ll have the courage to try one myself some day… “Well if *Malena* tried it, surely I can too!” haha

Good luck with the next legs of your trip!

05
Mom and Dad
posting from United States
April 13th, 2008 11:58 am

Glad to hear that the Great Voyager is voyaging once more, despite the facts that the cards still haven’t arrived.
It is my understanding that the only good way to eat a cricket is between two slices of bread along with a nice thick slice of onion, it seems that the taste of the onion counters the taste of the cricket. I think you should try it.
Dad

06
Kurt
posting from United States
April 13th, 2008 4:52 pm

You have now redeemed yourself. Great job!

Now how about a lizard?!

07
Aunt Jeanne
posting from United States
April 13th, 2008 5:44 pm

What! No close up of little legs stuck between your teeth? And are you sure that crickets should be enjoyed with RED wine? And just what do you plan to do with the rest of the bag o’ crickets? I’m just relieved I sponsored you and recieved my goodies before you had leftover crickets to dispose of… Looking forward to hearing about new places and more tasty treats!
Be safe, dear.

08
Peter
posting from United States
April 13th, 2008 6:00 pm

Malena! I am in shock that you ate that… I look forward to watching you eat many more bugs, and I hope they make candy out of onions somewhere.

09
Andy
posting from United States
April 14th, 2008 6:21 am

I think you should now change the title of this adventure to “Insects from Strangers: Traveling the World in Search of Creepy Crawlies”. You should eat a different insect in every town you go to. Some of those really big ones are a complete meal.

10
JamieO
posting from United States
April 14th, 2008 8:02 am

You really shouldn’t be too wary of the open market fare! Perhaps a cricket’s flavor develops as it basks in the sun and flies, rather than when hermetically sealed.
The great part of areas south of the border is that medicines are cheap and readily available to combat those pesky parasites stake claims in your intestines! Just go for it! I few moments of digging cricket legs out of your teeth hardly seems a concern for the trade off of partaking in a cultural experience.
I’m enjoying the blogs- I was in your shoes just last year and miss it! Good work!

11
Malena
posting from Mexico
April 14th, 2008 12:03 pm

I have to admit I’m glad I ate it, only so people won’t bother me about it anymore :) I won’t be changing the blog title though!

Aunt Jeanne - I thought about sending crickets back to the US, but I’m not sure that would make it through customs!

12
Tey Stiteler
posting from United States
April 15th, 2008 4:35 am

gastrochapulinophobia. another fear conquered. congratulations, malena.

if the san cristobal that you’re talking about is san cristobal de las casas (in chiapas) be sure to visit nabolom while you’re there. it’s an interesting and beautiful place that was started by franz and trudi blom (he was an archaeologist and she an anthropologist, i think). i was there in 1984. franz was dead by then, and trudi was a lively octogenarian. one day, while horseback riding, she told us a story that i’ll never forget.

she and franz were in the jungle exploring one of the ruins when they were caught in a torrential rainfall. they found a dry spot under some kind of rocky overhang overlooking a rushing and rising stream. suddenly franz thrust himself out of the shelter, fording the water that could have swept him away at any moment. trudi could barely see him through the blinding sheet of rain, her heart in her throat. after a few minutes on the other side, franz recrossed the turbulent flow. safe once again with trudi, he reached inside his jacket and pulled out…a flower.

sigh. i love that story.

give my warm regards to subcomandante marcos, if you see him. tey

13
Francis
posting from United States
April 17th, 2008 1:21 pm

Haha! This entry was heeeelarious!

Kudos for doing what the majority of people who are reading this (including myself) would NOT do!

You are a brave soul.

PS. I agree with Aunt Jeanne though… I would have liked to see the actual cricket legs inside your teeth!

14
Malena
posting from Mexico
April 20th, 2008 9:29 am

Hehe sorry for not including any pictures of the actual chewed up cricket… that would have been a souvenir to help me happily relive the moment. Glad you liked the entry :)

15
Megan
posting from United States
April 20th, 2008 11:57 am

Well done!

I didn’t eat spiders or crickets or cockroaches in Asia either so I hold no judgment.

16
thundy
posting from United States
April 23rd, 2008 9:05 am

Well done, Malena! ^_^

I hope your card situation gets resolved asap. =\

Leave Your Comment

Name*
Mail*
Website
Comment