Grasshoppers in your tacos? How umami Mexican food staple chapulines are being used in Hong Kong to make food and drinks ‘special’

Umami has been a term thrown around in the past decade, and while many of us have an idea of what it means, we may be unsure of the exact details.

Often described as the fifth taste, umami encompasses those pleasant savoury flavours that can’t quite be defined as salty, such as in foods high in the amino acid glutamate – think mushrooms, tomatoes and Parmesan cheese.

The snack’s origins can be traced back to the 16th century, when grasshoppers were harvested during the summertime rainy season and eaten as a sustainable source of protein.

Chapulines are usually toasted on a comal – a flat griddle – and seasoned with garlic, lime juice, chillies and salt.

While chapulines may have a bit of an ick factor for the uninitiated, the snack is commonly eaten in Mexico, according to Alejandro Ramírez Pérez, executive chef of El Taquero Mexican restaurant in Hong Kong’s Wan Chai neighbourhood.

“Grasshoppers are available in Mexico year-round, especially in the central valleys of Oaxaca [a state in the south of the country]. It is one of Mexico’s most popular options because they are high in protein and people enjoy them.

“Besides Oaxaca, chapulines are popular in areas surrounding Mexico City, such as Tepoztlán, Cuernavaca and Puebla,” Pérez says.

At El Taquero, chapulines are available served on a taco with guacamole, pico de gallo and crumbled cheese. According to Pérez, this is the most popular and traditional way to eat grasshoppers from Oaxaca.

The ingredient is also served as a garnish to add a savoury crunch to the restaurant’s Verdita Michelada beer cocktail.

“[Chapulines] may be eaten individually as a botana [snack], or as a filling like on a taco,” Pérez says. “Just like pork, beef, and chicken, it is treated like one of the ingredients.”

At rooftop bar Cardinal Point in Hong Kong’s Central neighbourhood, the ingredient, ground up with salt, coats the rim of the Desperado cocktail.

John Nugent, the beverage director of Hong Kong hospitality group Leading Nation, who designed the drinks menu at Cardinal Point, likes to include the ingredient to add complexity.

“The chapuline salt adds a smoky sweetness, so it really rounds the drink and adds another layer,” he says.

However, the bar has to be aware of guests with dietary restrictions when serving the drink.

“When guests ask what ‘salty bugs’ are, we tell them what it is. Also, we try to inform them that it’s not vegetarian.”

Pérez agrees that the grasshoppers add a special umami kick.

“While it may not play a starring role in many of the local dishes, chapulines, with its tangy flavour, are served as snacks or as toppings for tacos and tamales. They add a special flavour with their herby and slightly acidic aftertaste,” he says.

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Chapulines add an extra texture and enhance the umami flavour of dishes and drinks when ground up, and have a woody flavour like sun-dried tomatoes. Pérez plans to add more dishes containing the ingredient if it becomes popular with customers.