Michigan, Meet Stink Bug Salsa: Yes, It’s Real and It’s a Delicacy

Well. Here we are. Looking at a bowl of Salsa de Jumil, or as it may otherwise be known, Stink Bug Salsa.

Related: Dig In! 11 Insects You Could Eat if Lost & Hungry in the Michigan Woods

I, for one, will never, ever...ever, look at any bowl of salsa the same way again. Have I been eating stink bugs for years and never known it?

First off, yes, Stink Bug Salsa is a thing, and yes, it is considered a delicacy in Mexico. There is even a celebration dedicated to the smelly crawlers in Taxco, where they consume them in various forms, like raw, roasted, fried, or in Salsa de Jumiles, according to Cunnundrum.com:

Taxco has a festival featuring the jumile on November 1, the beginning of the season, and crown a Jumil Queen.

That's right, you too could have stink bug wings in your teeth while you smile as the Jumil Queen.

As you can see above, the insects are still attempting to CRAWL OUT OF THE BOWL as they are brushed/shaken into the salsa, where they will be ground up, and wait for a chip to scoop them into a waiting mouth.

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I know every culture has its unique pallet and traditions, but I'm not sure I can get down with eating stink bugs, basted, roasted, broiled, or otherwise.

I'd like to say "I'll try anything once". However, this isn't a recipe I'll be attempting in my kitchen anytime soon. There's nothing holding you back though! Here's a recipe from the Chicago Reader:

Salsa de jumiles
20 stinkbugs (or more)
4 small tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
1 jalapeño
A few tablespoons chopped cilantro
Salt to taste
Roast the tomatoes, garlic, and jalapeño in a hot oven or a skillet until they’re charred and softened. While they cool, toast the jumiles briefly in the skillet and then pound them in a mortar. Peel the garlic and add it and the chili and pound into a paste. Add the tomatoes and crush them until you have a chunky consistently, swimming with insect parts. Stir in the cilantro and salt to taste.

Watch the video below to better understand how to grind stink bugs into an...appetizing?...salsa.