How Do You Make Worm Salt

Prized as a source of protein since Pre-Hispanic times, the larvae live in the agave plants used to make tequila and mezcal. Fattened on sweet agave nectar, they might be sautéed and folded into warm tortillas or toasted and ground up with rock salt and dried chile peppers for sal de gusano: worm salt.

How is worm salt made?

Prized as a source of protein since Pre-Hispanic times, the larvae live in the agave plants used to make tequila and mezcal. Fattened on sweet agave nectar, they might be sautéed and folded into warm tortillas or toasted and ground up with rock salt and dried chile peppers for sal de gusano: worm salt.

What does worm salt taste like?

When ground with salt and dried chiles, the worms lend an earthy, umami-rich flavor to the salt that illuminates the wide spectrum of mezcal varietals, eaten in pinches, or sprinkled onto fruit to awaken and reset the palate.