Sal de gusano & Worm Salt

Sal de Gusano or worm salt, is a traditional condiment that can be found in Mexico and often used for salsas, dips, cocktails, tequilas or even on fresh fruit (click here to find some featured cocktail drinks to try with your worm salt or Cricket Salt). However, even if you have heard of sal de gusano not a lot of people have actually had the opportunity to try it or even know how worm salt is actually made.

That’s where we come in!

We wanted to put together something for people looking for more information to learn about worm salt or learn how it is made.

Now, if you get the opportunity to travel to Mexico, you will find it is much easier to find restaurants, street vendors or shops that carry edible insect products like worm salt, chapulines, etc. associated with the Mezcal culture. A lot easier than if you try looking for a restaurant or vendor here in the US that is. So you are not alone if you are still wondering what it is and how it is made.

How do you make sal de gusano?

To start making sal de gusano, you are going to need the “gusano” or worm, used in traditional recipes – these are the Maguey worms that feed on the sweet nectar or roots of the agave plant. Once gathered, the Maguey worms are either sautéed or toasted to prepare them. Next you will want to use a mortar and pestle to grind them up with a rock salt and chilie peppers.

Now this is the basic recipe and ingredients for making sal de guasano, but not all worm salts are made the same. Just like with family recipes, the taste varies greatly from one family to the next. Whether you choose to use an iodized salt, sea salt or Himalayan pink salt you are going to get a lot of different nuances to the flavor. Also the ratios of worms, salt, and chilie peppers provide a multitude of potential flavors. And that is just the beginning because once you start adding in family favorite spices and flavors, there is just no end to what you can come up with to satiate your taste buds.

So start experimenting and see what you like best when you start making your own worm salt and sal de gusano. We love using it to rim cocktails or as a dash to fresh fruit and even baked breads, but let us know what you think!