El Rey Del Sabor’s Grasshopper Quesadilla is a Unique and Crunchy Experience

I’m never scared about eating from a food cart. We’ve touted their cleanliness and deliciousness for years, but when I found out that El Rey del Sabor would be serving actual grasshoppers (chapulines) from their three carts this week, I knew I would have to face my first insect lunch. And my heart slowly made its way to my throat.

It was an exciting, exhilarating fear that I felt as I watched the guys grill up my quesadilla and I could see tiny little legs sticking out from the tortillas. The quesadillas are $9, which is pricier than the rest of their menu, but Rosa (the owner) pointed out it’s not cheap to import these little critters. They doused the dried chapulines with a smoky red hot sauce and topped it all with their wonderful chipotle aioli, homemade guacamole, and pico de gallo.

They were very crunchy, reminiscent of eating the exterior of a soft shell crab or tiny shrimp – except here there was no actual flesh or meaty texture – it was all crunch. That didn’t bother me too much. The flavor was quite unique and hard to pinpoint. There was something a little smoky and salty about the bugs with a strong nutty flavor, kind of like spicy harder irregular popcorn. Does that make any sense?

Like all the quesadillas at El Rey , these were pretty tasty. And once I got past the constant crunch and creepy, crawly appendages, I was able to enjoy the earthy, spicy flavors. If you’re looking for a unique and affordable meal, here’s an exciting option for you. They’ll be available all week unless they sell out earlier. I’m tempted to make some sort of bad insect pun in closing, but I’m sure that would just bug all of you.

El Rey del Sabor (3 Locations)

  • 49th and Park
  • 43rd btw. 5+6th
  • 60th and 3rd

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