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Mole de Jumil (Taxco Stink Bug Mole)
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Mole de Jumil (Taxco Stink Bug Mole)

75 min (30 prep + 45 cook) Hard 6 servings Guerrero
Edmond Bojalil
Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 29 Mar 2026 · Updated: 12 May 2026
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Ritual mole from Taxco made with toasted stink bugs, chillies and ancestral spices.

About this recipe

Mole de jumil is a ritual sauce from Taxco, Guerrero, made with toasted stink bugs (jumiles), chillies, tomato and spices, with an intensely anise-like flavour and deep pre-Hispanic heritage.

History & Origin

Mole de jumil is one of Mexico's most singular and ancestral dishes, a true gastronomic treasure that connects directly to the pre-Hispanic traditions of the Nahua peoples of the Sierra de Taxco in Guerrero. Jumiles (Euchistus taxcoensis) are hemipteran insects, popularly known as stink bugs, which descend from oyamel fir trees on the hills surrounding Taxco el Viejo during November and December. For Nahua culture, jumiles were a sacred food and a manifestation of the deities, making their consumption deeply ritually charged. The Fiesta del Jumil, celebrated on the first Monday after Day of the Dead, has taken place for centuries on the Cerro del Huixteco, where hundreds of families climb to collect the insects. Jumiles can be consumed alive (they have mild anaesthetic properties), toasted on a comal or ground into a salsa. Mole de jumil is prepared by toasting the insects on a dry comal, then grinding them with mulato chilli, ancho chilli, roasted tomato, garlic and spices. The result is a sauce of intensely anise-like flavour with earthy notes and moderate heat, served over tortillas, with chicken, or as a tostada dip. Very few moles in the world have a history so deeply rooted in the spirituality of a people as this remarkable preparation.

Estimated cost

£8.00

Total cost

£1.33

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

180

Calories

10g

Protein

10g

Carbohydrates

12g

Fat

2g

Fibre

380mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

  1. 1

    Toast the jumiles on a dry comal over low heat, stirring constantly, for 3–4 minutes until dry and crisp. Leave to cool.

    💡 Fresh jumiles can be used alive; toasted ones have a more concentrated flavour.

  2. 2

    Toast the ancho and mulato chillies on the dry comal, 30 seconds per side. Soak in hot water for 20 minutes. Drain.

  3. 3

    Char the tomatoes, onion and garlic directly on the comal until slightly blackened. Set aside.

  4. 4

    In a blender, grind the toasted jumiles with the soaked chillies, charred tomatoes, garlic, onion, cloves, pepper and a little soaking water. Blend until completely smooth.

    💡 Grind the jumiles thoroughly so no pieces remain. The mole texture must be completely homogeneous.

  5. 5

    Heat the oil in a clay pot or cast iron pan. Fry the sauce over high heat for 5 minutes until it changes colour and thickens. Stir constantly to prevent sticking.

  6. 6

    Add chicken broth to the mole to reach the desired consistency. Cook over low heat for 20 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust salt.

  7. 7

    Serve the mole over cooked chicken with red rice and maize tortillas. In Taxco it is also served over tostadas as a snack during the Jumil Festival.

Frequently asked questions

What people ask about this recipe

What are jumiles?

Jumiles are edible stink bugs (insects of the order Hemiptera), mainly Atizies taxcoensis, which live in the oak trees of the mountains of Guerrero and Morelos in Mexico. They are the size of a lentil and have been eaten alive or cooked since pre-Hispanic times. Taxco celebrates them with an annual festival, 'Día del Jumil', the first Monday after the Day of the Dead.

What do jumiles taste like?

Their flavour is unique: intensely herbal, minty and with notes of cinnamon, due to the allyl-acid and aldehyde they produce as defence. It is one of the most distinctive and difficult-to-describe flavours in Mexican cuisine. Some describe it as a mix of iodine, eucalyptus and freshly cut grass. Not for every palate on the first try.

Where are jumiles from and where are they eaten?

Jumiles originate from the Taxco region of Guerrero, and are also eaten in Morelos and Puebla. Local tradition says that collecting them from Cerro del Huizteco brings good luck. They are eaten alive in tacos with salt and lime, ground into molcajete salsa, or as the base of mole de jumil, a unique dish almost impossible to find outside the region.

Is it safe to eat live jumiles?

Traditionally they are eaten alive without reported health problems. However, only harvest or buy them from trusted sources, as the chemicals they release for defence (acetates and aldehydes) are potent and, in large quantities, could cause digestive issues. In mole they are cooked, which neutralises any risk. People allergic to insects should avoid them.

Where can I buy jumiles in the UK?

It is virtually impossible. Jumiles are not exported: they are hand-harvested in a very small area of Guerrero and consumed locally. To try them, your most realistic option is travelling to Taxco between November and February, during the season. As a mole substitute, some cooks use a mix of coriander, avocado leaf and bitter herbs, though the result is never quite the same.

What is Day of the Jumil?

Day of the Jumil ('Día del Jumil') is an annual celebration in Taxco on the first Monday after the Day of the Dead (early November). Locals climb Cerro del Huizteco to gather jumiles, eat them alive, and enjoy dishes made with them, like mole de jumil, tacos and salsas. It is recognised as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Guerrero.

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Edmond Bojalil
Edmond Bojalil

Founder, Recetas Mexas

Mexican from Puebla, IT professional and foodie. Author of 736+ authentic Mexican recipes adapted for European kitchens. Based in Madrid since 2018.

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