Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern 15x5 - Oaxaca: Ant Tortillasand Grasshopper Tacos

Andrew goes south of the border, and seemingly back in time,to Oaxaca, Mexico. Tastes and traditions from prehistorictimes influence every bite as recipes thousands of generationsold still reign supreme. From roasted winged ants andgrasshopper trail mix to grilled intestines and superheatedrock soup, Andrew discovers why Oaxaca is hailed as Mexico'sculinary capital.Andrew's first stop on his edible tour findshim in the rugged farmlands north of Oaxaca City. Local guideMaria Itaka introduces Andrew to a family who still celebratesindigenous foodways - cooking, speaking and hunting the waytheir ancestors did - including catching chicatanas, or wingedants! The family invites Andrew to their home for aone-of-a-kind experience watching grandmother hand downtreasured family recipes to grandmother, resulting in a simplebut beautiful meal of chicatana-filled tortillas. Withuncomplicated, mind-blowing cooked black beans on the side,this is a meal Andrew will never forget.Next, Local chef PilarCabrera brings Andrew to the tiny town of Reyes Etla, renownedfor making the traditional quesillo cheese she features at herrestaurant. Pilar, who has been buying cheese in this town allher life, tells Andrew 40% of the people in Reyes Etla producethe cheese! Andrew witnesses firsthand how one familyhandcrafts the signature round-shaped snack, then samples itin a homemade memela.For a taste of truly prehistoric times,Andrew heads to Cesar Gapuchin's Caldo de Piedra eatery. Therestaurant is named after its featured dish, caldo de piedra:a soup made from dropping a superheated rock into a dried gourdfilled with raw ingredients - dating back to the years beforepottery was even invented! Now a dying art, Cesar takes greatpride in keeping the tradition alive, knowing that itsustained his Chinantec ancestors for centuries - and Andrewtakes great happiness in eating it!Andrew and Maria go toTlacolula Market, one of the oldest in North America, wherevillagers from the surrounding valley have congregated forcenturies. Resulting a rich multitude of edible offerings, themarket is a prime feeding ground for Andrew, who sampleseverything from Mesoamerican chocolate and wild cherries todried beef heart and aged intestines! The real star of themarket is the fresh tejate - a dish of ground corn, fermentedcacao, mamey seeds, rosita de cacao flowers and toastedpecans, all mixed with ice water - and Andrew and Maria get aspecial look at just how it's made. Meeting up with some realZapotec tejateras, Andrew witnesses the 8-hour process ofgrinding tejate by hand and the sacred tradition behind thelatest ladies in the ancient line of making it.Next, Andrewvisits the Inalim Company, where Hugo Sandoval and RobertoPerez are exploring ways to harvest Oaxacan grasshoppers andexport the underappreciated protein around the world. Andrewtries whole grasshoppers at their peak of freshness, and alsobaked and tossed in a canola fried mixture of garlic, chili dearbol, and peanuts for a type of "trail mix!"What better wayto end a Oaxacan adventure than with celebrated chef AlejandroRuiz? Alejandro brings Andrew to Abastos Market, where he grewup selling cheese, to shop for his award-winning restaurants,and shows Andrew how his inspiration is created from hundredsof neighborhood recipes. Back at his restaurant Casa Oaxaca,Alejandro whips up grasshopper tacos with quesillo cheese,traditional Oaxacan mole, and seared rabbit legs with chayote.All in all, brilliant combinations of simple flavors cherishedby the local people, and transformed into world-classrepresentations of what made Oaxaca what it is today.