Ants

Flying ants and large termites emerge from the ground at the beginning of the rainy season in Sub-Sahara Africa. They fly to street lights by the thousands where excited children catch them in mid-flight, pluck off the wings, and gulp them down without a second thought. To prepare these crunchy delights, heat a pan and fry the ants dry. They produce a lot of oil from their bodies. Remove them from the pan, and dry in the sun or a low oven. Remove the wings by winnowing or picking them out and store until ready to eat.

Bee Larvae

Remove the bee hive or nest from the tree and boil it. Remove larvae from the comb and dry them. Fry them with a little salt and eat. No oil is required for frying.

Bush Crickets

These large green crickets swarm at street lights in April and May. Their long antennae distinguish them from locusts and grasshoppers. To prepare, remove the wings and the horned part of the legs. Boil them for 5 minutes and then dry in the sun or at a low temperature in the oven. Winnow away the wings if any remain by tossing them gently into the air, allowing the wings to blow away. If you are not skilled at winnowing, simply pick them out. Fry in a pan with salt. These may need a touch of added fat to fry or roast. Larger grasshoppers may be turned into a main course by frying with chopped onion, tomato, and a little flour.

Cicadas

Remove wings and fry with a little oil and salt.

Green Caterpillars

These emerge at the end of the rainy season and feed on grass. To prepare them, remove the intestines and stomach and boil for 5 minutes. Dry them in the sun or a low oven. Fry in a hot pan with a little oil when ready to eat. Sand Crickets

Dig these from the sand, remove stomach and intestines, and wash. Fry in a hot pan with salt and a little oil.

Source: Kevin H. Souza, writing on Insects as Food in Africa

Collected by Bert Christensen
Toronto, Ontario