Cuetla: what it is, taste and how the worm is eaten

What is it?

The cuetla is the caterpillar of the butterfly Arsenura armida, also known as the cuajinicuil worm or black worm of Puebla. It develops mainly on cuajinicuil trees (Inga vera), guarumbo and others of the cloud forest, feeding on their leaves during the rainy season. Its gathering takes place in July and August in the Sierra Norte of Puebla, the high areas of Guerrero and of Oaxaca. It has a cylindrical body up to 12 cm long, a bluish-black colour with a red head. It is prepared purged and fried in lard with garlic, in tacos with a freshly made tortilla, or ground into a molcajete salsa with pasilla chilli and tomato. Its flavour recalls smoked bacon, with notes of earth and green leaves. It constitutes a ceremonial and prestige food in Nahua and Totonac communities of the Pueblan sierra.

Origin and history

The consumption of cuetlas is ethnographically documented among the Nahua, Totonac and Otomi of the Sierra Norte of Puebla since pre-Hispanic times. CONABIO reports oral evidence of its ritual use associated with the patron-saint festivals of July and the ceremonies of thanksgiving for the harvest. Although Sahagún does not mention the cuetla by specific name, he does describe a variety of edible caterpillars of the Pueblan and Veracruz high plateau. In the 20th century, the anthropologist Julieta Ramos-Elorduy, of the Institute of Biology of the UNAM, catalogued them among the edible insects of Mexico, recording prices and community gathering practices in municipalities such as Hueytlalpan, Olintla and Caxhuacan. México Desconocido and Larousse Cocina highlight the economic importance that cuetlas have for the sierra families: during a single season incomes equivalent to several months of agricultural wages can be obtained.

Characteristic ingredients

Arsenura armida is a large nocturnal moth of the Saturniidae family. Its larvae live in gregarious colonies on Inga vera and species of the genus Cecropia, defoliating entire branches during their growth. The caterpillars measure 8 to 12 cm in their last stage, just before descending to the ground to pupate; it is then that they are gathered. Traditionally they are purged in water with salt and lime for 24 hours, roasted on the comal or fried in pork lard with garlic and onion. Bromatological studies by the UNAM and the BUAP estimate their protein content at 50-58% by dry weight, with the presence of iron, zinc, calcium and essential fatty acids. Cuetla salsa is prepared by grinding the toasted caterpillars with guajillo chilli, pasilla chilli, tomato, garlic and salt, served in market tacos and blue-maize memelas. In Cuetzalan tamales filled with cuetlas are made for patron-saint festivals.

Cultural significance

The cuetla represents a regional Pueblan gastronomic identity, comparable to the Hidalgo chinicuil or the Oaxacan chapulín. It forms part of the dossier of Traditional Mexican Cuisine declared by UNESCO in 2010 as Intangible Cultural Heritage. Its gathering sustains local economies in marginalised municipalities of the Sierra Norte and keeps alive ethnobiological knowledge passed down through generations. The Higher Technological Institute of Zacapoaxtla and the BUAP study its semi-controlled rearing to avoid pressure on wild populations. The Ministry of Culture of Puebla includes gastronomic festivals such as the Cuetla Fair in Hueytlalpan and tastings at the Cuetzalan Fair. Chefs such as Pedro Martín of Origen (Oaxaca) and Liz Galicia, a champion of Pueblan sierra cuisine, have positioned the cuetla on contemporary fine-dining menus, contributing to its revaluation.

Frequently asked questions

What does the cuetla taste like?

It has an intense flavour of smoked bacon, with earthy and vegetal notes recalling the fresh leaves of the cuajinicuil it feeds on. When fried in lard it acquires a crisp texture on the outside and a creamy one inside, with an aftertaste similar to chorizo or chicharrón with mineral tones.

How are cuetlas prepared?

They are purged for 24 hours in water with salt and lime, roasted on the comal or fried in pork lard with garlic and onion. They are served in tacos with blue-maize tortilla, green salsa and avocado, or ground into a molcajete salsa with pasilla chilli, guajillo chilli and tomato, accompanying sierra memelas and tlacoyos.

When are cuetlas gathered?

The season is very short: only during July and August, when the caterpillars reach their last stage and descend from the trees to pupate in the ground. They are gathered by hand in the early hours of the day, with whole families travelling to the cuajinicuil groves of the Sierra Norte of Puebla, Guerrero and Oaxaca.

Where does the cuetla come from?

It is native to the cloud forests of the Sierra Norte of Puebla, where its greatest consumption is concentrated, as well as the sierra areas of Guerrero, Oaxaca and parts of Veracruz. Its gathering is associated with Nahua, Totonac and Otomi cultures, and is a tradition that dates back at least to the Mesoamerican Postclassic period.