For most people, finding a bug in their food is enough to turn them off from a particular restaurant. Not so for fans of the Black Ant, a restaurant in New York City's East Village that specializes in serving up Mexican-inspired fare made with lots of love and a sprinkling of insects. Patrons of this unique eatery not only expect to find creepy crawlers in their food, but they order them right off what I think is perhaps the one of the weirdest menus I've ever seen. And that's really saying something coming from a native New Yorker!
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Among the Black Ant's most popular dishes are a namesake Black Ant Guacamole with chicatana (ant) salt and grasshopper-encrusted shrimp. I'd be lying if I didn't say these items didn't make my mouth water–with disgust. But then again, I'm quite a picky eater. I don't even critters found in the ocean. So as you can imagine, land critters hardly sound appetizing to me. That said, there are plenty of people out there who love the taste and feel of roasted bugs in their mouth.
As novel as this cuisine seems to me, an acculturated Boricua who grew up eating rice and beans and chicken every day of her life, such unusual fare isn't that unusual or icky to some. Insects are culinary staples in many cultures and countries, including Mexico. The Black Ant's head chef, Mario Hernandez, says his abuelita has been cooking with insects since forever. "It's a really important part of Mexican gastronomy," Hernandez tells well+GOOD. "Ever since I was really young, my grandma and I would harvest grasshoppers and ants, depending on the season, and cook them."
Nowadays, Hernandez sources his insects from the wild, though he hopes to someday farm his own. Makes sense, since such fare is becoming wildly popular. Brands like Exo, Bitty, and Chirps are using cricket flour in energy bars, cookies, and chips.
To each their own, I guess. Personally, I'm not a fan of bugs. I won't eat them on a stick. I won't eat them in a dish. I won't eat them on the side. I won't eat them if they're fried. No, I do not want grasshopper-encrusted shrimp or drinks sprinkled with ants. No, I do not want to ingest bugs. Not at all, my man.
That said, please pass the cactus fries, because those sound delish!
Images via Black Ant NYC/Instagram
