içá

ENTRY: içá

CLASS: noun

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Atta sexdens

EQUIVALENT: içá

DEFINITION: Large female leafcutter ant whose abdomen is toasted or fried to be eaten as an appetizer or in farofa.

EXAMPLE: Clean the ants by removing legs, heads, and wings if any remained.

SOURCE: Viagem Gastronômica através do Brasil

COMMENT: The habit of eating ants has always been cultivated by some indigenous tribes, but it was the consumption of içá that survived and became popular among non-natives, especially in the region of Vale do Paraíba, between São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. In the summer, thousands of female içás fly from their colonies to reproduce. At this time, their abdomens are enlarged and full of nutrients, especially protein. Also called tanajura, içá is carefully prepared for eating by removing and discarding everything except for the round abdomen. Roasted and mixed with manioc meal, those ‘butts' become a side dish ─ farofa de içá.