Helmets in hand, we tromped single-file on a trail to Actun Tunichil Muknal, a spectacular series of caves in Western Belize containing calcified human remains and ceremonial vessels left by Mayan shamans most active between 700 and 900 A.D. Getting to the entrance of the caves required a beautiful morning jungle hike, and we were lead by Carlos Panti, a local guide who knows the area, its plants and animals like the back of his hand. In his drill-sergeant-meets-bushman manner, our rainforest superman informed us that there had been recent sightings of a petite but deadly poisonous viper on this very path and to watch where we were stepping. Barefoot, Carlos lead our small, intrepid group across land and through water, pointing out notable plant and animal life, and the occasional warning (watch the ants!), neatening the trail with his machete along the way. We followed like eager apostles behind him, excited but uncertain about where he was taking us. The entire day turned out to be one of the most exhilarating and wondrous times I can remember. But in addition to the hiking, swimming and spelunking through the sacred caves, Carlos shared with us some unforgettable tasting experiences.
Once we had settled into our hike and I had partially put the deadly viper thing out of my mind, Carlos stopped. Given his intimate familiarity with the jungle, I thought he would point out an unusual bird or fruit tree, or the source of a Mayan medicinal remedy. Instead, we were in front of a termite nest about the size of a toddler that encircled a tree about five feet off the ground. Carlos gently made a small hole in the brown dirt mass. When he pulled his index finger out, he had about a dozen baby ant-sized termites crawling on his hand, and with his other hand, picked one off and popped it in his mouth.
“What does it taste like?” someone asked.
“It tastes like carrots,” Carlos responded.
I was skeptical. But when I handpicked a termite off his finger and put it in my mouth, I tasted dirt, followed by a tiny crunch. And then, as real as the screen in front of your face, the little isoptera tasted just like cooked carrots.
For those unfamiliar with entomophagy (the practice of eating insects) bugs are an excellent source of nutrients with many high in protein and low in fat and cholesterol. Grasshoppers, grubs, mealworms, crickets, catydids, ants - humans all over the world consume over 1,000 species of insects. I was ecstatic about trying termites, not because of the culturally “extreme” notion of eating bugs, but for the chance to challenge my own ideas about what I considered to be “food,” and finding that it wasn’t too bad.
Our next treat came without interrupting our quick pace. Carlos must have plucked a leaf from someplace along the trail. He passed the leaf back and told each of us to rip off a piece. When we all had a bit of the leaf, he told us to eat it. I should have detected the mischief in his eyes. But still on a high from the termites, I took a big bite, thinking it would taste like mint or flowers or something else sweet and wonderful. I unquestioningly eat anything someone tells me to and assume the best. So when the taste of the leaf turned out to be alarmingly and persistently bitter, I was taken aback. One by one, each member of our expedition expressed their distaste.
“You and I, Carlos,” one person jokingly remarked, “We are not on good terms right now.”
Beaming, Carlos suggested that we probably wanted to be nice since he was the only one of us who knew the way out of this jungle. True enough. And because of his sweetness and enthusiasm, we couldn’t hold this acrid leaf-sharing incident against him. For the next few minutes, I gulped water, holding it in my mouth, in hopes that I could wash the terrible taste away like a rinse of Scope. No luck. But after twenty minutes or so, the tingling stopped and I could stop making facial gestures like a cat with a hairball.
This sharply bitter and potent plant is called…ahem…Jackass Bitters. Its leaves, roots and flowers are known to treat and prevent ailments including malaria, wounds, head lice and intestinal parasites and help to regulate blood sugar levels. The rainforest is packed with native medicinal plants, each with the capacity to cure many known diseases. Apart from the unpleasant flavor, my morsel of jackass bitters was by far the most pungent, powerful thing I’ve ever tasted. I felt in awe of the potential of this innocuous-looking leaf.
Late that afternoon, we walked back to our van the same route we came, tired and giddy from our incredible day in the caves, and considerably more at ease on jungle turf. We wisecracked with Carlos about being alone with a man carrying a machete. He proceeded to name me “jaguar food.” I walked slower, hoping to make the day last a little longer. At that moment, the jungle didn’t seem as bewildering as before. Carlos made the exotic and unfamiliar more peaceable, yet we still would have been lost without him.
