Polydish city guide
Best Chahuis in San Francisco
“Summer beetles in their larval stage, fried, roasted, or simmered into avocado leaf broth”
What the real thing tastes like
Chahuis or xamoes are the common names given in Mexico to a variety of edible insects within the insect order Coleoptera (beetles). Chahuis are consumed preferably in summer, in their last larval stage (2–3 weeks of life), since in their adult stage they have a bitter taste. They are consumed fried, roasted, stewed or in sauce, also tatemados al comal and served with salt and chili. In southern Mexico, they are eaten toasted on a comal or in a broth prepared with avocado leaf, epazote and ground corn.
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Chahuis are beetle larvae that arrive each summer as a seasonal delicacy across Mexico, prized during their brief larval window before bitterness sets in. Fried until crisp, roasted dark, or simmered into rich sauces, they transform across the country's regions—in the south, they're toasted on the comal and dropped into broths perfumed with avocado leaf and epazote, their earthiness grounded by lime and chile.
Order it here when it has
- eaten during peak larval stage for flavor
- versatile cooking methods
- traditional regional variations
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