…if you see these little insects on your table at Madre in Torrance, you’re going to want to put them in your mouth and chew them up, legs, head and all. Chapulines, or whole grasshoppers, are among the many authentic ingredients at Madre, an Oaxacan restaurant that opened last year where you can get the little critters with your mezcal or sprinkled all over your taco and guacamole.
Vasquez, who was born in Oaxaca, Mexico, named Madre in honor of his mother, whose home recipes make up the menu of Oaxacan staples, including the crunchy little critters that are commonly eaten in all sorts of ways in various parts of Mexico and Central America. “You’ll see ladies selling them in big baskets, you get them by the kilo and you eat them with tortillas, queso fresco, salsa roja, Mexican style with jalapeños, onions, tomatoes, a little bit of oregano, or they can be simple snacks,” Vasquez said.
