The James Beard award-winning chef features several menu items that list insects among their key ingredients.
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The Queso del Rancho is house-made cheese served with chicharrones, and topped with a trio of insects, including:
- chicatanas (ants)
- gusanos (worms), and
- chapulines (grasshoppers)
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The Mole de Chicatana is a steak prepared with a sauce made of ground ants. Even a margarita on the menu is served with salt made with gusanos.
"I try to explain to them, and I try to convert them to the Oaxacan food," Ortega said, with a laugh.
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For those who do not have an iron stomach, Xochi also offers a variety of more mainstream specialties from the Mexican state of Oaxaca, like masa dumplings, moles, and tlayudas, a tortilla with savory toppings baked in the oven.
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Ortega just won the prestigious James Beard Award, the highest honor in the food world, and now he's on a mission to shine a spotlight on the cuisine of his childhood.
"To get the real regional specialties from his home is wonderful," diner Elizabeth Swift said.
Ortega believes that Houston - and our diverse population - is more ready than ever to embrace new flavors.
"This is my tribute to the great oaxacan cuisine, that it can be eaten and enjoyed by all of us," Ortega said.
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Xochi is located in the Marriott Marquis, downtown at 1777 Walker Street.
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