Hello friends of the farm in this opportunity, I'm going to talk about the proteins that the maguey worm offers us. The maguey worm was considered in the prehispanic culture an exquisite food, destined to the Aztec dignitaries.
Currently, farmers develop a project for the production of succulent and nutritious worm, through which they intend to recover the planting of maguey (plant native to Mexico), encourage the agricultural economy in the face of the recurrent crisis of the countryside and protect the farmland against the threat of the urban spot.
These worms are known as maguey worm to two species of larvae of lepidoptera that are raised in the pencas of the species of the agave family. Both are ingredients of Mexican cuisine. The two types of worm are the Acentrocneme hesperiaris, the white worm and the Hypopta agavis, red worm or "chinicuil".
The Aztecs already ate maguey worms, although it was a dish reserved for the emperor. Currently there is an expensive dish so it is only found in prestigious restaurants. A worm dish does not reach € 10, so the price for those who visit the country is not an excuse.
The maguey worm is bred in the heads of Ágave, another food native to Mexico.
The most common way to consume it is fried. It is a dish with a high protein content and also provides vitamins and minerals.
In general, they are eaten in tacos: fried worms, guacamole and chili sauce are placed on the tortilla to taste, the tortilla is folded and closed and eaten by hand, as the tacos should be eaten.
The white worm of maguey is the larva of a butterfly and grows in the roots or roots of the maguey, it is white with the head and the brown extremities and in Mexico it is customary to eat it fried. It is related to the chinicuil, which is also an edible worm, parasite of the maguey but red.
Both are obtained from the center of the maguey after the rainy season, so the extraction of 3 or 4 animals causes the total loss of the plant, which in itself takes several years to reach maturity and be ready to be scraped to obtain the honey water with which the pulque is made. Its origin is primarily in Hidalgo.
In many countries of America, the possibility of consuming worms as a more ecological form of food is already being taken very seriously, since it does not cause the serious environmental problems generated by the livestock sector. Through a micro-patronage campaign, he has created an apparatus for raising flour worms at home (Tenebrio molitor), animals that can be fed with the remains of fruit and vegetables. It ensures that high quality proteins can be created through waste. These worms have more protein than a veal fillet, more vitamin B12 than eggs and more fiber than broccoli.
Nutritional information: they can have between 30% and 80% of protein content. In addition, insects can provide vitamins, minerals and fats to the human diet.
Along with the escamoles, the maguey worm is the Mexican insect that has achieved the greatest gastronomic prestige in the world, being appreciated by all sectors of Mexican society (although, due to its high price, its consumption has been reserved for the wealthy sectors). Cooked has a size and consistency similar to those of a French-style potato, but a delicate and exquisite flavor. Because of its scarcity it is very expensive, a small dish of maguey worms, as an entrance, costs around 350 Mexican pesos (approximately 20.6 euros).
They can be eaten in a natural state, roasted, fried, in sauce or cooked to taste; They can also be consumed as a snack or used as an additional ingredient in tequila and liquors to give them a different taste.
Industrially it has been tried to supplant it by another chrysalis that grows on tortilla residues
RECIPE
2 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoons of oil
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
1 sprig of epazote finely chopped
300 g maguey worms
1 lemon in juice
1 sliced dry tree chili
8 corn tortillas
PREPARATION:
In a hot pan, melt the butter with the oil, sweat the garlic and the epazote.
Add the worms, moving continuously so that they brown evenly. Cook for 5 minutes and add lemon and dry chili to taste.
Serve immediately, in hot tortillas. It is recommended to accompany it with green sauce and guacamole.
MAGUEY WORM PRODUCTION
The maguey producers' committee has the objective of respecting the traditional way of producing the worm (red, similar to a moth).
Shadow houses are used, which are structures similar to greenhouses. The alimentary properties of the worm (whose scientific name is hypopota agavis) are optimal, thanks to the fact that worms are the beings that enjoy the best food, since they extract raw material of first quality. They contain mineral salts, calcium, vitamin B, magnesium and provide high quality calories; In short, they benefit the human being even more than fish, because their nutrients protect the body by creating restorative cells and intervening in the functioning of the immune system.
During pre-Hispanic times, the consumption of insects such as maguey worms was exclusive to high dignitaries and it was considered that this delicacy strengthened manhood. Nowadays chinicuiles are usually offered in the most exclusive Mexican restaurants or can be bought in state natural.
Despite the first resistance to see them, it is worth trying them. The worms of Maguey are tasty and delicate.
Source
http://www.guiaturisticamexico.com/atractivo.php?id_blog=00367
https://www.jornada.com.mx/2016/09/19/capital/034n1cap
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