 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Mezcal worm" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(December 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Amezcal worm is aninsectlarva found in some types ofmezcal produced inOaxaca,Mexico. The larva is ared maguey worm, thecaterpillar of theComadia redtenbacheri moth, usually calledchinicuil orgusano rojo ("red worm"). The red worm is typically considered tastier than awhite maguey worm.[1]
Although the custom is relatively recent, larvae are used by several brands of mezcal to give flavor to the drink. In 1950, Jacobo Lozano Paez first introduced the practice of adding larvae to mezcal.[1]
The other variety of "worm" in mezcal is thelarva of aweevil known aspicudo del agave,Scyphophorus acupunctatus, the agave snout weevil, that infests certain species ofyucca andmaguey.[2] They are not related to ediblemaguey worms.
Picudo larvae may be roasted and eaten; they are a seasonal specialty of markets in southeastern Mexico.
 | ThisMexican cuisine–related article is astub. You can help Wikipedia byadding missing information. |