What is Escamoles, the Mexican “Desert Caviar” Obtained From Ant Eggs

Caviar is the quintessential food that is considered synonymous with wealth and fine dining – and in fact it is one of the most expensive products in the world – but perhaps you don’t know that there is a version of it that is considered equally chic in its homeland.

They are called escamoles, it is a dish from Mexico and is called “desert caviar” even if in reality it has nothing to do with fish eggs. But always of treated eggs: the delicacy, in fact, is composed of eggs and ant larvae, which aesthetically resemble the eggs used to obtain caviar.

It is a very ancient preparation and is considered very valuable: escamoles, in fact, are only found in high-level restaurants. The reason? Mainly the extreme difficulty in collecting the eggs that make up the delicacy.

What Are Escamoles?

Escamoles are the eggs and larvae of a particular breed of ants called Mayr Liometopum apiculatum which is found mainly in the semi-arid areas of Mexico, so in states such as Hidalgo, Puebla, Queretaro, Tlaxcala, Mexico, Guanajuato, Michoacan and San Luis Potosi.

Their consumption as a food dates back to some very ancient local nomadic tribes (the Otomis, for example) who used them regularly in their diet and also used them as a common exchange commodity since the consumption of insects was practiced by several tribes. Even today there are several communities linked to this culinary tradition.

The name escamoles comes from the ancient Aztec Nahuatl term “azcamolli,” which means “ant” and “stew,” and over time this preparation, for hundreds of years the preserve of pre-Hispanic rural culture, has become a very expensive delicacy, part of the menus of the most chic restaurants in Mexico. Outside the country it is inaccessible, as it is illegal to transport ant eggs across the border.

Why are Escamoles Considered Valuable? It All Depends on The Harvest

Escamoles are considered the caviar of the desert because they are very expensive and not accessible to everyone. The reasons for the cost and rarity of this product are the rarity of the eggs and the great difficulty in collecting them.

The particular ants of the race from which the eggs are taken take about two or three years to give life to a new nest, each of which produces escamoles 4-5 times a season and only for 10 – 12 weeks a year, between February and April. The nests are very delicate, in particular they are easily destroyed by rain, and their life cycle lasts no more than twenty years.

These data already make you understand how rare the eggs are, but to all this is added the practical difficulty of collecting them. The men who go into the desert are called escamoleros and must make a long and difficult journey in the most arid territories of Mexico to locate the anthills ready for collection.

Every year these men go in search of nests that they know or look for new ones, and then face the harvest made difficult not only by the poor accessibility and the scarcity of the product, but also by the stings of the adult ants present in the nests. In a nest no more than 70% of the escamoles are collected.

Once the eggs and larvae are collected, the collectors wash and freeze them, then sell them to restaurants at a market price that varies between 35 and 100 dollars per kg, depending on availability, demand and the type of sale.

At one time, the escamoleros were a very widespread profession, but today this tradition is increasingly disappearing and in all of Mexico only a handful of collectors remain, organized in a structure created specifically to promote and market the product and establish production protocols in accordance with current traditions and regulations.

Flavor and Use of Escamoles

According to the testimonies of those who have tasted desert caviar, escamoles have a very delicate, buttery flavor, with nuances reminiscent of hazelnut due to the diet of ants, which feed on pepper trees (Schinus molle L.), holm oaks, maguey or agave and cactus. As for the consistency, it is very soft, similar to that of ricotta.

This is because escamoles are generally cooked with green peppers, finely sliced ​​onions and epazote leaves for a few minutes, until they soften and take on the classic ivory-white color. Once ready, they are eaten in tacos as a filling and are accompanied with a glass of white wine.