WCP Young & Hungry: "Are you gonna eat that? Worm Salt at El Camino"

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Are You Gonna Eat That? Worm Salt at El Camino

Posted by Rina Rapuano on July 30, 2015 at 10:08 am

The Dish: Worm salt

Where to Get It: El Camino; 108 Rhode Island Ave. NW; (202) 847-0419;elcaminodc.com

Price: $2 with any mezcal

What It Is: The worm salt—also known as sal de gusano—is served here with orange slices as a traditional Oaxacan accompaniment to mezcal. You dip the orange slices in the salt, take a sip of mezcal, then take a bite of salty orange slice. Beverage Director Paul Challan, who was born in Mexico, uses the Gran Mitla brand of worm salts, one of just a few available in the U.S. For the concoction, agave worms (technically a caterpillar called aegiale hesperiaris) are toasted and ground, then blended with sea salt and costeño chiles, a mild dried pepper that adds more depth than heat.

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