In the first episode of the new season of Bizarre Foods (premiering Oct 27th), host Andrew Zimmern visits rancher José Carlos’ maguey fields in the outskirts of Mexico City. It’s here that Zimmern gets familiar with maguey worms, a type of invertebrate that lives inside the agave leaves.
Indigenous people have eaten maguey worms for centuries: they’re a protein-rich “delicacy” that roadside vendors toast, salt, and sell by the bag. Prepared this way, they become crispy, creamy, and foamy.
Zimmern proceeds to sample a maguey worm pupa, a baby worm that is on its way to becoming a moth. When placed on top of his hand, the pupa actually craps; but Zimmer proceeds to taste the excrement—without flinching—declaring that it has “absolutely no taste whatsoever.”
The actual pupa, however, is kind of sweet. This makes sense, given that the creatures feed on agave.
Don’t miss the new season of Bizarre Foods, premiering on Travel Channel on Oct 27th.
[via Travel Channel, Eater]