Chapulines and Food Choices in Rural Oaxaca

Abstract

Grasshoppers (chapulines) are an important part of rural Oaxacan (Mexico) cuisine and they play a key role in the local diet and market. In this paper, and using data collected over several years of interviewing and ethnographic research in the state, we describe how rural Oaxacan women manage the harvest and prepare chapulines. Second, we examine how chapulines are consumed in the rural households and their nutritional value. Finally, we turn to the important role chapulines play in the market system and entrepreneurial activities of rural Oaxacan women who sell this much valued food source.