Nucú Asados (Toasted Flying Ants from Chiapas)

History & Origin

Chicatana ants, known as nucú in Chiapas and in the Zoque and Tzotzil languages, are among the most prized edible insects in Mexican gastronomy. They belong to the species Atta mexicana and are only accessible during the first rains of summer (May to June), when the winged queens emerge from their nests in swarms to take their nuptial flight. This fleeting availability makes chicatanas a seasonal delicacy of immense cultural and nutritional value: they contain more protein per gram than beef and have a complete amino acid profile. In Chiapas and Oaxaca, harvesting chicatana ants is a community event: at dawn, families head out with buckets and bags to collect the insects that fall to the ground, stunned by the light. The simplest and most traditional preparation is toasting them on a griddle with salt, which brings out their flavour of peanut butter with smoky notes. They are eaten directly as a snack, wrapped in maize tortillas, or ground to make salsas and moles. For the Tzotzil people of the Chiapas Highlands, nucú represent a gift from nature that lasts only a few days and must be savoured fully, with any surplus toasted and stored in airtight jars.