Fried crickets on the menu at Oaxaca’s famous Gueleguetza in Mérida
Mérida’s Parque de la Paz, across from the Centenario Zoo, is hosting a traditional Oaxacan Gueleguetza festival complete with entertainment and plenty of food.
The Guelaguetza festival, which began last week, will continue until Sunday.
The Guelaguetza (meaning Mondays on the hill,) is an indigenous Oaxacan event that takes place in a number of markets.
Because of the popularity of the festival, event organizers from Oaxaca have decided to start taking the Gueleguetza on the road to cities across Mexico.
“Since the outbreak of the pandemic travel has been hard and fewer people have been visiting Oaxaca, so we have decided to bring Oaxaca to them,” said event organizer Alberto Vásquez.
Aside from the colorful folkloric dancing on display, the true star of the Gueleguetza is Oaxaca’s cuisine.
When most people in Mexico think of food in Oaxaca they think of tlayudas. So of course, this dish is front and center at every Gueleguetza.
But as popular as Tlyaudas are, there is another dish that catches the attention of onlookers: fried grasshoppers, known as chapulines.
“We prepare chapulines by frying them in olive oil, adding plenty of garlic, chilly powder,” says Alberto Vasquez.
The chapulines can be enjoyed on their own or in a taco or tlayuda. Because they are so crunchy and salty they also make for a great snack, similar to peanuts.
The insects are caught by hand early in the morning or late at night in the mountainous regions of Oaxaca, when the colder weather practically paralyzes them, making their capture relatively easy.
For those not interested in eating crickets, the Gueleguetza also offers a wide array of other artisanal products, including mezcal, jewelry, and traditional desserts.
Senior Editor Carlos Rosado van der Gracht is a Mexican expedition/Canadian photographer and adventure leader. Born in Mérida, Carlos holds multimedia, philosophy, and translation degrees from universities in Mexico, Canada and Norway.
