Eat what! The most exotic foods of Latin America – Part 1

They are horrible, frightening, disgusting, unthinkable, heartbreaking, wonderful and delicious. These are just a few of the adjectives used to describe food commonly eaten “south of the border” from Mexico to Peru. The expression, “One man’s flesh is another’s poison” has never seen more fruit than is evident in these “exotic” foods found throughout Latin America. Just feast your eyes on these tempting treats.

iguanas

The beginning of our list is a common delicacy of the Pacific and Caribbean coast. Although protected in many countries, these green lizards, which can grow to over 3 feet in length, are a prized stable in Aruba, Bonaire, Panama and Colombia. Eggs are also cooked and eaten, although they are often taken illegally. There is a significant black market for them in Cartagena, on Colombia’s Caribbean coast. They’re not cheap, but they’re good.

Armadillo

From Texas to Ecuador, these nine-banded creatures have been coveted for decades. Their numbers are now greatly diminished due to years of intense hunting; they are still considered a delicious treat when they can be found. Usually cooked in stews to help tenderize their thick, dense meat, almost everyone who has eaten Armadillos likes them very much. However, you must be quick to catch them. They can burrow into the ground at alarming speeds.

ants

Technically known as “Ants Culonas”, these species of ants with swollen abdomens are a highly prized food in Colombia and Mexico. They are gathered from seemingly innocuous places like cemeteries, parks, and vast pastures, then roasted or fried until crisp. Only the enlarged abdomen is consumed, often with cheese or honey as an “appetizer”. Sold and exported by the pound, they have quickly become an international favorite among the bug-eating crowd. To be honest, I like them myself.

piranha

Despite numerous movies to the contrary, they don’t always attack without mercy. Children in Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Guyana, and Peru swim in piranha-infested waters all the time without injury. Women are also known to wash the family’s clothes in streams and ponds teeming with schools of sharp teeth. Many of the 35 known varieties of Piranha, including the Cachama family, are not only edible, but delicious. Piranha head soup is used as a form of “jungle Viagra”. Stories abound of elderly Indian men with more than a dozen children and multiple wives.

Well, if I didn’t get you here in part one with “goodies” from Colombia, Brazil, and Mexico, you’ll love what you get in part two of this three-part series. We’re going to travel to the jungles of Colombia and the high Andes mountains of Ecuador to introduce you to some high-flying “eye-opener” specialties that will make greasy partially cooked pork liver look like “Haute Cuisine.”

See you in the second part of “What do they eat! The most exotic foods of Latin America”.

Bon Appetite!