Grasshoppers are lovely. They and crickets are taking over the alternative source of nutrition scene — for meat, flour, etc. And they make great snacks and condiments too!

I’ve lived in Oaxaca for more than ten years, and I’ve ever seen an empanada that looks like these. They look more like tostadas. Empanadas are typically large, flat tortillas folded over and stuffed with chicken and mole amarillo. The ones made with cheese are called quesadillas.

Excellent, Lynda. Glad to hear it. If in your Oaxacan food travels, you find anything that we’ve missed, please let us know.

Buen Provecho, Roxanne. Glad to hear it!

Thank you for confirming the spelling of tlayuda!

As for the “empanadas” pictured (taken by me, during my eating experiences in Oaxaca), my understanding is these are specific to Oaxaca, and possibly the nearby region. So I have seen them consistently referred to as “empanadas Oaxaqueñas” — note without the first ‘ñ’. Empanadas Oaxaqueñas are made/cooked open-face first, then sometimes served as such, or closed at the midpoint into a half-moon. I have never seen them sealed or closed. So they are quite different than the empañadas you (and I) are accustomed to seeing and eating throughout other areas like South America and Central America. Unfortunately, I don’t know the background as to the difference. If anyone would like to explain, I’d be grateful.

Hi! Daniel… I’m Mexican and you are right, Tlayuda is the correct spelling…. by the way, I dont like it very much… Just one more thing, the “empañadas picture” doesn’t seem to be the right one: Empanadas almost always -or always- are “closed-stuffed” pieces of god turned into food, hahaha! sorry I love it!