I’ve been sourcing food for nearly two decades now and this the first time we’ve carried ants! And not just chocolate covered ants, which always felt like a schtick, but honest to goodness ants with an actual tradition.
The abridged story goes like this: each May, the Vásquez family gathers three generations together to gather the large, flying, biting ants that surface after the first major rain of late spring. The family canvasses the fields between two and four in the morning to harvest the ants, which are less active in the dead of night.
Lightly roasted and salted, their brittle, crunchy texture is fun to contrast with salads or bright dishes. You can even snack on them straight out of the bag for a slightly smoky, nutty, cocoa-ish flavor that’s incredibly unique. And really, really fun.