Why Have Ants Become a Common Cooking Ingredient in Mexico?

[Fam Times reporter Park Ju-hye] Ants cause little damage in South Korea, but overseas they sometimes cause homes or buildings to collapse.

Yet for two days every year, residents of Oaxaca, Mexico, welcome these ant invasions as though they were a fountain from heaven, drawing widespread attention.

Known as “chicatanas,” these ants leave their nests and fly into the sky. Because they are very rare, they are used as a delicacy ingredient in upscale restaurants and ordinary households.

Chicatana ants slowly descend to the ground, so they are not difficult to catch, and all the children love running around collecting them.

Gabriel Hernández Cruz, a teacher who lives in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca, welcomed the ants, saying, “The ants come down like rain. When they fall from the sky, you simply sweep them into a large container and roast them on a griddle.”

In Mexico, eating insects has been commonplace since the Mesoamerican era for reasons including poverty.

Insects can be prepared in various ways. At upscale restaurants, chefs may turn ants into sauces, while street-food vendors sometimes use mayonnaise to appeal to customers’ tastes.

Chef Ricardo Arellano said, “If a mother wants to feed her family but has no ingredients, ants can be a good option because they are rich in flavor and high in protein.”

People actively seek out insect dishes, while the world is also showing interest in insects as part of a future food supply capable of feeding the growing global population.

Protein levels vary among insect species, and cooking methods can also alter their nutritional content. However, reports indicate that most insects contain protein levels comparable to beef.

Compared with livestock such as cattle and pigs, insects offer the benefits of producing far fewer carbon emissions when farmed and requiring less space. The UN already views insects as a future food resource.

Reporter Park Ju-hye, fam1@pcss.co.kr