Chapulines 2626768 196806641 2008-03-08T17:10:53Z Reywas92 1233313 reorder [[Image:Small chapulines basket.JPG|thumb|right|Small [[Oaxaca|Oaxacan]] chapulines in Mexico]] [[Image:Chapulines.jpg|thumb|right|Chapulines in [[Tepoztlan]] market]] '''Chapulines''' are [[grasshopper]]s of the genus ''[[Sphenarium]]''. They are considered a [[delicacy]] by many [[Mexican]]s. They are collected only at certain times of year (from their hatching in early May through the late summer/early autumn). They are thoroughly cleaned and washed out, then toasted on a comal (clay cooking surface) with garlic and [[lemon]] juice and sal de gusano to create a sour-spicy-salty taste. Some people will toast their chapuline with chiles, but most vendors and cooks will tell you that chiles are used to cover for stale chapulines and only show up in the poorest quality grasshoppers. Chapulines are available only in certain parts of Mexico, the state and city of [[Oaxaca]] being best known. They are available in varying sizes, small to large. They are known to have been used as food for over 3000 years. The taste is unique, but not especially strange. They may be eaten individually as a ''botana'' (snack) or as a filling, eg: [[tlayuda]] filled with chapulines. Chapulines must be cooked prior to consumption. As with other grasshoppers, they may carry [[nematode]]s that can infest human hosts. The word ''chapulín'' for grasshopper is specific to [[Mexico]] and derives from the [[Nahuatl]] language. In [[Spain]] and most Spanish speaking countries, the word for ''grasshopper'' is ''saltamontes'' or ''saltón''. ==Lead contamination== Recently concerns over lead poisoning in foods imported to the US from the Zimatlán area of Oaxaca, Mexico, including chapulines, have come to light in public health and media sources<ref>American Journal of Public Health, May, 2007</ref>. In California, an investigation of lead poisoning among community residents in Monterey County indicated that the largest risk for lead poisoning (defined as having an elevated lead level of 10 ug/dl of blood or greater, as defined by the US Centers for Disease Control) was among residents who were from or reported eating imported foods from the Zimatlan area (compared to residents who were from other parts of Oaxaca, Mexico). Contaminated chapulines were found for sale in the community in California and have also been identified in samples from Zimatlan, Oaxaca <ref>International Journal of Epidemiology, December, 2007</ref>. Lead levels in the chapulines have been seen as high as 300 times the maximum recommended lead dose for children under the age of 6 and pregnant women. ==In popular culture== * One of the most famous Mexican comedy characters is The Red Grasshopper, ''[[El Chapulín Colorado]]''. *Chapulines have been featured in [[PBS]] cooking/travel programs with Burt Wolf and [[Rick Bayless]]. *The name of the [[Mexico City]] landmark [[Chapultepec Castle]] derives from a Nahuatl phrase meaning "Grasshopper Hill". *Chapulines in [[Oaxaca]] were featured on the Travel Network show [[Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern]].<ref name="BizzareFoods">{{cite web | last = | first = | title = Bizzare Foods with Andrew Zimmern: Blogs from the Road | url=http://bizarre-blog.travel.discovery.com/ | accessdate = 2007-08-23 }} </ref> ==See also== *[[Entomophagy]] ==References== ===Footnotes=== <references /> ===General references=== *[http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/lead/grasshoppers.shtml www.oregon.gov] *[http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/grasshoppers11_03.html www.fda.gov] *[http://www.topix.net/content/kri/3165445155351329644925537836083046820068 www.topix.net] ==External links== *[http://one.revver.com/watch/296016 He knows something you don't know] [[Category:Insects as food]] [[Category:Mexican cuisine]] [[Category:Nahuatl words]] {{Mexico-cuisine-stub}} [[es:chapulin]] [[fr:Chapulines]]