Cochineal Dining On Nopals
The Cochineal is a little creature with a big story. A window into its fascinating history can be found at the wonderful El Tlapanochestli Cochineal Farm in Santa María Coyotepec near Oaxaca in Mexico.
The cochineal is a scale insect that is believe to have originated in the Oaxaca region. It spends its life munching happily on the region’s abundant Nopal cacti. But the cochineal held within its tiny frame one of nature’s marvels - a secret first discovered by the Aztecs. To deter predators, the cochineal contains within it large supplies of carminic acid - a substance that happens to produces the world’s finest natural dye for the colour red. Red was a prized colour for the Aztecs, who developed great expertise in commercially farming the insect to meet their demand for red-dyes.
When the Spanish conquistadores learned the secret of the fabulous reds of local textiles (much superior to the duller varieties then found in Europe), they sent word home. News of the cochineal created a stir in Europe and created a revolution in how the most expensive and coveted fabrics were dyed. Cochineal became, after silver, the most important export from the colony of New Spain (modern day Mexico). Cochineal was the international dye of choice for those seeking clothes of the most perfect red - and the Spanish guarded their monopoly on exports to Europe very carefully. Only with the discovery of synthetic dyes did the cochineal surrender its dominant market position.
An insight into the unlikely history and previous strategic importance of this tiny life-form can be gleaned by the museum that is dedicated to El Tlapanochestli’s most famous resident. The farm is a gem that should be put on the shortlist of things to do for any trip to Oaxaca. If meeting the little creatures at El Tlapanochestli whets your appetite to learn more, then look no further than Amy Butler Greenfield’s excellent book - A Perfect Red: Empire, Espionage, and the Quest for the Color of Desire.
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