Mango Salsa Taco with Waxworms

Combine the robust ingredients first: corn, beans, onions, garlic, cilantro, peppers (fresh and ground), lemon juice, olive oil. Mix vigorously, then add soft ingredients (mangos, tomatoes, avocados) and stir in more caringly. Adjust salt, pepper, and lemon juice, to taste.

Euthanize, boil, and roast waxworms, if you haven’t already. If you have raised your own waxworms, you will need to euthanize them in the freezer a day ahead of time, then boil for 3-5 minutes to kill any parasites, and drain. The easiest way to boil something small like waxworms is to bring water in a small pot to a rolling boil, then place waxworms in a fine mesh stainless steel strainer, and lower into boiling water for 3-5 minutes. Then, all you need to do it lift the strainer out of the boiling water, and rinse the waxworms, still in the strainer, with cool water, then spread out to dry. To roast, preheat oven to 320 degrees Fahrenheit (160 Celsius), and spread waxworms over a pan or piece of tin foil. You don’t need any oil, they are fatty enough. Roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes until they are fragrant, and lightly crispy and dry to the touch. Set aside.

If you are not using hard taco shells, warm the tortillas in your favorite manner. This can be as easy as popping them in the microwave, or using tongs to hold them over something steaming, tossing them in the oven with the roasting waxworms, or flash in the pan. I like to heat up some oil in a pan over medium heat, then toss each tortilla in just long enough for it to brown, flipping it once. When tortillas are warm and pliable, keep in a tortilla warmer, or stack between napkins and keep under a large bowl, to preserve heat, until ready to eat.

Fill each tortilla with as much mango salsa as will fit without bursting out, and then top with crispy roasted waxworms. Serve approximately 2 or 3 tacos per person, or allow them to serve themselves.