Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Adventures In Eating




File:EggChorizoChapulines.JPG
Egg Chirozo Chapulines
Photo by
Alejandro Linares Garcia

 

In view of the fact that this month has one of the most food-celebrated holidays in it, namely Thanksgiving, I thought it might be interesting to talk a bit about some unusual foods.

In my book The Nun and the Narc, which is partly set near Oaxaca, Mexico, the heroine, Sister Margret Mary, grabs a quick snack at the local village market.  I could have provided something safe like a taco, tamale, empanada, or a cup of Mexican chocolate, but I thought it would be interesting to provide her with an unusual snack that would show readers her adventurous side. Even if her creator, me, isn’t so adventurous.

 Here are a few unusual foods served in or near Oaxaca, Mexico, that I had to choose from.

 

·       Elotes

·       Tecoles

·       Escamoles

·       Huitlacoche

·       Chapulines

 
Elotes. An easy to pronounce word that means corn on the cob smothered with mayonnaise, fresh white cheese, chile powder, and lime. The pictures I found showed the corn on a skewer and frankly looked quite tasty. So much so, that I decided it was way too ordinary.

Tecoles, also easy to pronounce, are red segmented maguey worms, the larvae of the Hypopta agavis moth. They made me too squeamish to even consider letting poor Sister Margaret chomp on them, even though they are usually toasted or fried and served in a taco. She wouldn’t be seeing the bugs as she dined, but my stomach rebelled at the mere thought.

Another delicacy I encountered on the culinary search was escamoles, sometimes called “insect caviar”. Escamoles are ant larvae harvested from the roots of the agave tequila or mezcal plant in Mexico. I didn’t think the good sister could keep these down either. I know I couldn’t.

\The next choice was Huitlacoche, or corn fungus, which was described as having an earthy, mushroomy flavor. Not a bad option, I thought, because I love mushrooms. A bit harder for readers to figure out the pronunciation of the word, but it might be an edible choice. Then I saw a picture of the corn smut. It was off the table, too.

The last option I had was chapulines. Chap- u- lin-es. I rolled the Spanish word around on my tongue. It had a nice feeling. Easy to pronounce. Very Spanish sounding. And it is a widely consumed delicacy. Chapulines are eaten on a daily basis in Oaxaca, Mexico, and have been a culinary choice since the early to mid 16th century. Diners eat them in fried in tacos, or fried and dipped in chile powder and threaded on skewers. Put enough chile powder on anything to disguise the taste, like ketchup, and it might be edible. Described as crunchy, high in protein and very low in fat, they seemed like the perfect snack for an adventurous heroine who is health conscious and taking care of the Lord’s temple (her body). So, when she’d skipped breakfast and found herself getting hungry at the village marketplace, Sister Margaret chowed down on a skewer of deep fried, chile powder-coated grasshoppers.

Now, I’ve never eaten a bug, intentionally that is. The odd gnat has flown in my mouth while gardening, and according to one source I’ve read, we devour a fair number of insects that crawl in our mouths while we sleep, (which is why I cover my mouth with the sheet at night). So, I have to say, “More power to Sister Margaret, and anyone else brave enough to chomp down on any of these Mexican delicacies.” Because, frankly, I still prefer turkey and stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberries and good old pumpkin pie. I just live adventurously and vicariously through my heroines.

What about you? What’s the most adventurous food you’ve ever eaten? I did have alligator once, in New Orleans. It didn’t agree with me. No big surprise there.

 

17 comments:

  1. Oh, Catherine! Some of those had my skin crawling. Yuck! I've had gator and snake and frog legs and squirrel, but I don't think insects have ever been on my menu. Just like I don't think skunk, Lord willing, will ever find its way there either. :)

    Thanks for sharing your interesting research. It's amazing what we find when we dig a little deeper.

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    1. I couldn't handle any of them either. That's why Sister Margaret is a braver woman than I am. LOL

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  2. What a interesting post about the adventures in eating! I have also tried alligator in New Orleans and it's not for me either!

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  3. It didn't taste bad but alligator gave me quite the tummy ache.

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  4. Hi Catherine,
    I applaud your adventurous spirit. When it comes to food, I don't venture too far out of my comfort zone.
    Joanne :)

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    1. Unlike Sister Margaret, I definetly draw the line at bugs. I did eat squirrel once. Can't say I liked that either.

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    2. Oh then they didn't fix that squirrel right for you. :) We fixed squirrel and dumplings one time, and I had a young girl, who said she wouldn't eat the stuff, picking the meat off the bones and eating it instead of putting it in the pot. :)

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    3. I like the dumplings part of that recipe. I think it was a squirrel stew. Honestly, it wasn't anything to write home about. The shark I ate once, however, was pretty good.

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    4. I'm not sure I've ever had shark, but I want to say I have. It seems everything tastes like chicken though. Even rabbit. :)

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    5. Yumm. Fried rabbit! But I'd have to say I don't think it tastes like chicken. Too gamey. Question - do people really eat skunk? If so, how does one get the smell out? Just wondering here?

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    6. I imagine there are people that do. It's a scent gland, so just like with any other wild animal--don't hit the scent gland and you're good. :)

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  5. Catherine, I remember that scene from reading the book.

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  6. It's one of my favorite scenes in the Mexican marketplace. That and the car chase.

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  7. Reindeer in Finland. Nothing remarkable about the taste, but the company and the atmosphere were wonderfully memorable! :-)

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    1. Ooo, reindeer sounds interesting. I've had plenty of deer, even tried buffalo, but never had the opportunity to try reindeer.

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    2. I like buffalo. I've only had it as burgers but liked it.

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  8. I wonder if reindeer tastes different than deer. I've eaten deer but never in an interesting place like Finland.

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