What does ahuautle taste like?

Ahuautle has a concentrated flavour of dried prawn, algae and boiled egg, with saline and umami notes. When cooked into fritters, it takes on a texture similar to ground dried fish, and in revoltijo it pairs with the acidity of romeritos and mole. Its intensity recalls fish caviar, hence the nickname.

What is the difference between ahuautle and axayácatl?

Ahuautle are the eggs deposited by aquatic flies of the genus Corisella, while axayácatl is the adult insect that lays them. Both are eaten: ahuautle is used as caviar or an egg substitute, and axayácatl is toasted as a snack or ground into salsas and fritters in the Valley of Mexico.

How is ahuautle prepared?

Traditionally it is mixed with beaten egg, formed into fritters and fried, then bathed in red mole or chile guajillo broth. It is also used in revoltijo with romeritos during Lent, in ritual tamales and mixed with masa for tlacoyos in Texcoco and Chimalhuacán.

Where does ahuautle originate?

It comes from the lakes of the Valley of Mexico (Texcoco, Xaltocan, Zumpango) and the brackish waters of Tlaxcala and Hidalgo. Documented by Sahagún in the 16th century, it survives today thanks to ahuautlera families in San Cristóbal Nexquipayac and Chimalhuacán, State of Mexico, who keep this pre-Hispanic tradition alive.

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Ahuautle: the Mexican caviar of the lakes of the Valley of Mexico

What is it?

Ahuautle, from the Nahuatl ahuauhtli (water seed), is the edible eggs deposited by aquatic flies of the genus Corisella (axayácatl) in the brackish waters of Lake Texcoco, Tlaxcala and Hidalgo. It is harvested by tying bundles of grass or reeds at the shore so that the females lay their eggs there. After drying in the sun, the eggs come loose and are sieved, producing a yellow powder used in fritters, revoltijo with romeritos, tamales and as a substitute for egg during Lent. Known as Mexican caviar for its high protein concentration and historical value, it is one of the most representative pre-Hispanic foods of the Altiplano and is still served in San Cristóbal Nexquipayac and in Chimalhuacán, State of Mexico.

Origin and history

The consumption of ahuautle has been documented since the Mexica Postclassic period. Bernardino de Sahagún, in the Florentine Codex (Book XI, Chapter 5), describes it as tiny eggs that abound in the lake of Mexico and were sold in the tianguis of Tlatelolco. Hernán Cortés mentioned it in his Letters of Relation sent to Charles V (1520), noting its use as tortillas and biscuits sold by the indigenous people. After the conquest, the draining of Lake Texcoco, begun by Enrico Martínez in the 17th century and completed in the 20th, drastically reduced production. UNAM and CONABIO have documented the activity as ahuautlera culture, surviving in Nahua communities that still practise lake fishing with inherited techniques. México Desconocido reports that only a few dozen families in San Cristóbal Nexquipayac keep the artisanal harvesting of ahuautle alive today.

Characteristic ingredients

Ahuautle is made up of thousands of tiny eggs less than 1 mm in size, deposited in clusters by females of Corisella mercenaria and Corisella texcocana. It is harvested from March to October, using bundles of bulrush or grass submerged where the females spawn; once removed and dried in the sun, the eggs detach and are strained through sieves. Its flavour recalls dried prawn, with notes of algae, salted fish and boiled egg. SAGARPA reports a protein content of around 63% by dry weight, higher than egg or chicken, while also providing lysine, calcium and omega-3. Traditionally it is mixed with beaten egg to form fritters that are bathed in mole or chile guajillo broth. It accompanies revoltijo with romeritos and nopales during Holy Week, and is included in ritual tamales for the Lenten season in Texcoco.

Cultural significance

Ahuautle symbolises the deep relationship between the cultures of the Valley of Mexico and their vanished lake environment. It was part of the tribute that the lake communities paid to Moctezuma, according to the Matrícula de Tributos, and was considered ceremonial food. Today it is a subsistence resource at serious risk: INAH and CONABIO warn that urbanisation and pollution threaten both the insect and the traditional knowledge associated with it. The Lake Texcoco Management Plan includes programmes to rescue the ahuautlero trade. Traditional Mexican Cuisine, recognised by UNESCO in 2010, explicitly includes ahuautle among the foods representative of the Mesoamerican food paradigm. Chefs such as Yuri de Gortari and Edmundo Escamilla championed its revaluation at the Museum of Mexican Gastronomy before its closure, and restaurants like Pujol and Quintonil occasionally feature it on seasonal menus.

Related recipes

Now that you know what it is, try cooking it at home with our step-by-step recipes:

We are preparing recipes for this guide. Check back soon.

Frequently asked questions

What does ahuautle taste like?: Ahuautle has a concentrated flavour of dried prawn, algae and boiled egg, with saline and umami notes. When cooked into fritters, it takes on a texture similar to ground dried fish, and in revoltijo it pairs with the acidity of romeritos and mole. Its intensity recalls fish caviar, hence the nickname.
What is the difference between ahuautle and axayácatl?: Ahuautle are the eggs deposited by aquatic flies of the genus Corisella, while axayácatl is the adult insect that lays them. Both are eaten: ahuautle is used as caviar or an egg substitute, and axayácatl is toasted as a snack or ground into salsas and fritters in the Valley of Mexico.
How is ahuautle prepared?: Traditionally it is mixed with beaten egg, formed into fritters and fried, then bathed in red mole or chile guajillo broth. It is also used in revoltijo with romeritos during Lent, in ritual tamales and mixed with masa for tlacoyos in Texcoco and Chimalhuacán.
Where does ahuautle originate?: It comes from the lakes of the Valley of Mexico (Texcoco, Xaltocan, Zumpango) and the brackish waters of Tlaxcala and Hidalgo. Documented by Sahagún in the 16th century, it survives today thanks to ahuautlera families in San Cristóbal Nexquipayac and Chimalhuacán, State of Mexico, who keep this pre-Hispanic tradition alive.