A classmate mentioned los chapulines yesterday, and made a face not too disimilar from the one I make everytime Sarah Palin says, "hockey mom." Los chapulines, or grasshoppers, are a common, high-protein snack in Oaxaca. I accosted Señora Garcia that evening, and inquired about this delicacy. Her face lit up like Sarah Palin on a polar bear hunt, and she opened the refrigerator and revealed a bowl of, you guessed it, chapulines! Now I was expecting a relatively large creature, maybe the size of a fried mozzarella stick. Something I could imagine the lord sending down over Egypt on a bad day. But no. Picture Dubya´s brain and you have un chapuline.
Apparently, los chapulines are caught in the countryside, not too far from Oaxaca City. Illegal aliens from the United States are hired to work the fields. Two workers stand about 20 feet from each other holding an open net with very, very tiny holes. They then run through the field and trap the grasshoppers in the net. I have this image of a Hindi movie where the hero and heroine are running through a beautiful, green field in Switzerland; however, Señora Garcia assures me that there is no loud music in the background and the workers do not change clothes every 30 seconds!
Señora Garcia turned on the stove, heated some oil in a small saucepan, tossed these little buggers in, added a clove of garlic, and squeezed in some lemon juice. Two minutes later, she served them up on a warm tortilla with some hot sauce and Oaxacan cheese. I know what you´re wondering...do they taste like chicken? Actually, they don´t. It´s somewhat hard to describe, but, rest assured, they are very tasty. A little on the salty side, and, as would be expected, crunchy. They feel like bacon bits, except a bit more flaky. And they melt in your mouth...not in your hand. Hmmmm...just like mama used to make.
Well, I must hop off now...ha ha ha! ;)
