Meocuil: what it is, taste and how the maguey worm is eaten

What is it?

The meocuil, also known as the white maguey worm, is the larva of the butterfly Aegiale hesperiaris, which develops in the leaves and hearts of the pulque agave (Agave salmiana) on the central Mexican high plateau. It is distinguished from the chinicuil, the red worm of mezcal, by its white-yellowish colour, its fatty, buttery texture, and its delicate, slightly sweet flavour, similar to that of a cooked snail. It is gathered by hand from March to June in maguey fields of Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, Puebla and the State of Mexico, and is prepared fried in lard, in tacos with guacamole, browned on the comal with worm salt, or as a filling for mixiotes. It is considered a delicacy of high gastronomic and economic value, even being sold at prices higher than those of fresh salmon.

Origin and history

The meocuil appears documented in colonial sources as a Nahua ritual and festive food. Fray Bernardino de Sahagún, in book XI of the Florentine Codex, describes it among the edible worms of the Mexican land, clearly separating the white meocuil from the red chilocuil. Mesoamerican culture associated both worms with the maguey, a sacred plant linked to the goddess Mayahuel. Chroniclers such as Francisco Hernández, physician to Philip II, cited it in his Natural History of New Spain (1577) as a most delicate larva of great esteem. With the consolidation of the pulque haciendas of the 17th to 19th centuries in Hidalgo and Tlaxcala, its gathering was incorporated into the agricultural cycle of the maguey. Larousse Cocina and CONABIO Enciclovida confirm that its capture is carried out by scraping the leaves during spring, the moment when the larva reaches optimum size and fat before pupating.

Characteristic ingredients

Aegiale hesperiaris is a butterfly endemic to Mexico, whose caterpillar lives between the base of the leaves and feeds on their tissues. The larva measures between 4 and 6 cm, has a white-creamy body, light brown head and a fleshy consistency, with a high content of unsaturated fats and proteins (40-45% by dry weight). Traditionally it is prepared by purging them in salted water, frying them in pork lard until golden, and serving them in tacos with blue maize tortilla, guacamole and salsa borracha. Other traditional preparations include mixiotes wrapped in maguey leaf, white-worm omelettes, and stuffed tamales in the Apan region. Its consumption has remained marginal due to the difficulty of gathering and the loss of maguey fields, but the agro-ecological cultivation of pulque agave in Tlaxcala has made it possible to recover production. SADER has included the meocuil in sustainable-use programmes as a non-timber forest resource.

Cultural significance

The meocuil is one of the most prized products of Mexican entomophagy: in markets such as San Juan in Mexico City it reaches prices of up to 3,000 pesos a kilo, which makes it a delicacy of contemporary fine dining. It forms part of the dossier of Traditional Mexican Cuisine declared Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 2010, particularly linked to the culture of pulque and maguey. It is a protagonist of the Maguey and Barley Festival in Hidalgo and of the gastronomic fairs of Apan and Tepetitla. Researchers at the Colegio de Postgraduados study its semi-controlled rearing to curb the pressure on wild populations. Chefs such as Diego Hernández Baquedano in Baja California and Jorge Vallejo at Quintonil have positioned it on international tasting menus, reinforcing regional pride in this symbol of maguey culture.

Frequently asked questions