The Socioeconomic and Nutritional Importance of Grasshoppers in Rural Oaxaca, Mexico
Professor Jeffrey Cohen (Anthropology)
Francisco Montiel-Ishino (Anthropology)
Chapulines (grasshoppers) cleaned or fried in a little oil, with some garlic, lime, and salt, are an important food source in the central valleys of the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. Records suggest Oaxacans have consumed chapulines since well before the Spanish conquest, and today chapulines remain a key ingredient in the local diet. The chapulin has dietary benefits, but more importantly several cultural, economic, political, and social impacts. Utilizing qualitative research methods, the current study investigates the multi-faceted role of the chapulin for Oaxacans from a cultural and social anthropological perspective.