Cuchamas: what they are, taste and how they're prepared

What is it?

Cuchamas are edible caterpillars of the butterfly Paradirphia fumosa, gathered in the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley and sierra areas of Puebla and Oaxaca. They live on huizache trees (Vachellia farnesiana), mesquite and pirul, feeding on their leaves and tender stems. The gathering season is very short, between the end of June and the middle of July, coinciding with the first rains of summer. They are brown in colour with fine hairs and measure up to 6 cm in their last stage. Their flavour is herbal, earthy and slightly citrusy, with a green-leaf aftertaste. They are prepared toasted on the comal with salt and lime, in tacos with a freshly made tortilla, or ground into a molcajete salsa with pasilla chilli and tomato. For the Popoloca, Mazatec and Mixtec peoples of the semi-arid Puebla-Oaxaca region, they constitute a key nutritional source and a symbol of the diversity of Mexican entomophagy.

Origin and history

The consumption of cuchamas is ethnographically documented among the Popoloca, Chinantec, Mazatec and Mixtec peoples of the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley, one of the regions with the greatest cultural and biological diversity in Mexico. The journal Etnobiología and CONABIO report that their gathering is incorporated into the agricultural and ritual calendar since pre-Hispanic times. Although it does not appear under that name in colonial sources such as those of Sahagún, various edible huizache caterpillars are mentioned in the Natural History of Francisco Hernández (1577). In the 20th century, the anthropologist Julieta Ramos-Elorduy and the ethnobiologist Robert Bye, both of the UNAM, catalogued them as a critical ethnobiological resource. México Desconocido highlights their use in patron-saint festivals such as that of El Carmen in Tehuacán and that of San Pedro and San Pablo in Coxcatlán. The Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve, declared a Mixed World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2018, protects the ecosystems that sustain their sustainable gathering.

Characteristic ingredients

Paradirphia fumosa is a nocturnal moth of the Saturniidae family, endemic to the semi-arid regions of Mexico. Its caterpillars gather in groups on huizaches and mesquites, forming defoliating colonies during June and July. The caterpillar is dark brown with stinging setae that must be removed before consumption by a process of toasting or roasting on the comal. They are purged in salted water, roasted over a low heat until the setae come off and then served in tacos with green salsa, avocado and fresh cheese. Cuchama salsa is prepared by grinding the toasted caterpillars in a molcajete with pasilla chilli, garlic, tomato and salt, served with broad-bean memelas and tlacoyos. Bromatological studies by the Autonomous University of Puebla report a protein content of 45-55% by dry weight, with the presence of iron, magnesium, phosphorus and essential amino acids. Some communities make tamales filled with cuchamas wrapped in avocado leaf for patron-saint festivals.

Cultural significance

Cuchamas are a key piece of the gastronomic heritage of the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Reserve, inscribed on the representative list of Mixed World Heritage by UNESCO in 2018, which explicitly recognises the traditional knowledge about the use of edible insects. They form part of the dossier of Traditional Mexican Cuisine declared Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2010. The Cuchama Fair in San Sebastián Zinacatepec, Puebla, celebrates the gathering season each July, with salsa and tamal contests and tastings. Researchers at CIIDIR-Oaxaca document the semi-controlled rearing as an alternative to reduce the pressure on wild populations. Contemporary cuisine, led by chefs such as Édgar Núñez of Sud 777 and Alejandro Ruiz at Casa Oaxaca, has incorporated cuchamas into tasting menus, contributing to their national revaluation as one of the gems of Mexican entomophagy.

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