Guests at traditional Amazon village eat monster grubs

Chontacuro grubs are enormous larvae of a weevil that burrows into palma trees in the Amazon basin, in Ecuador, Colombia, Peru and Brazil. They get their name from the Kichwa words ÒChontaÓ for the palma tree that they inhabit and feast on, and the word ÒcuroÓ which means worm. Several indigenous tribes along the rivers consider them a staple part of their diet, and even a delicacy. They are valued for their nutritional properties, adding a generous portion of protein and fat to a diet that is high in vegetables and fruits. Aboriginal peoples believe that chontacuro have healing properties, curing infections, asthma, gastritis, and arthritis. Ecotourists on a visit to a traditional village were given a rare and educational insight into the culture of the indigenous people. Margot and Erika demonstrated methods of farming, fabrication, and food preparation, including the famous chontacuro grub. They explained how the palma trees are farmed to yield fruit, chontaduro