Chefs behind Mexican restaurant Xico introduce grasshoppers to guests, a delicacy they hope Mumbaikars won't hop away from
Guacamole with chapuline
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It's a sultry afternoon and chef Jason Hudanish is in the midst of preparing guacamole, a dip with ripe avocados at Lower Parel's Mexican restaurant Xico. As he scoops out the flesh from the pear-shaped fruit and mashes it with chopped cilantro, diced onions and tomatoes, the only ingredient that sits on the table is a bowl of, what appears to be, dried shrimp. Except, it holds roasted grasshoppers. "We add them at the end like seasoning which is why the taste is a lot more defined," he says, munching on the crunchy treat.
Meet the high jumpers
This writer's openness to exotic food has never moved beyond duck. So when we learnt of Chef Scott Linquist (who runs the Miami favourite Coyo Taco) and Hudanish's decision to introduce chapulines or grasshoppers as an off-the-menu dish, it took a certain resolve to sample it. "Grasshoppers are the most popular snack in Mexico. They are abundantly available at both upscale restaurants as well as street joints, and eaten as appetisers," says Hudanish, a hopper connoisseur.
Sliced cucumber with chapuline
The grasshoppers at Xico have been imported from Miami. "They are mass produced in Mexico and then exported to other countries. Because it's such a delicacy, we decided to introduce it on an experimental basis here," he says. Hudanish understands that in Mumbai, he'll be confronted with initial resistance. "Because insects aren't visually pleasing, we clip their wings and legs so that people don't get frightened," he says, exhorting us to try some.
The first bite of the guacamole served on tortillas with hoppers is unexpectedly pleasant. The dip is delicious. The grasshoppers don't have a distinct taste and even the texture is closer to crunchy prawns. Within five minutes, we have eaten at least 10 of them. That it's an acquired taste is something that Hudanish agrees with. "We only offer it to people who we discover are experimental enough, after a brief chat with them," he says.
Protein boost
In the one week they've been offering it to guests, Hudanish says, not a single guest has complained about the taste. "Grasshoppers are clean because they're barely on the ground. Even when they are, they eat plants. They are also an excellent source of protein, minerals and amino acid," he says.
Despite the high nutrition levels, Hudanish is tasked with making it palatable. "You can either eat the dried grasshoppers directly, which is the traditional way, or on tortilla. At our restaurant, we sauté it with almonds, golden raisins, Mexican chocolate, cilantro and lemon oil served on the cucumber with avocado mouse," he explains. The objective is to give it a mole sauce-like spin that typically contains a mixture of chillies, nuts, seeds, and vegetables. "Here, the sweet, nutty, roasted and slightly bitter flavours mask the original taste," he says. Next up, Hudanish plans to get another insect that is "spicy and chocolatey". But he won't tell us which just yet.
Also Read: Mumbai Food: Exotic Asian Veggies Now Making Way To Restaurant Menus
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