Mopane Worms

Mopane worms are not worms at all but the large caterpillars of the emperor moth, which feed on the leaves of the mopane tree that gives them their name. They are one of Southern Africa's most important traditional foods, eaten across Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and the northern provinces of South Africa, where they go by many names: phane in Setswana, madora or amacimbi in Zimbabwe, and masonja in parts of South Africa. Harvesting is seasonal, tied to the rains when the caterpillars are fat and feeding, and it is hard, skilled work usually done by women and children who pick them from the trees by hand. The fresh caterpillars are squeezed to remove their gut contents, then boiled in salted water and dried in the sun. Dried this way they keep for months and become a portable, shelf-stable source of protein, which is a large part of why they have been so valuable in dry regions where fresh meat is scarce or expensive.

Dried mopane worms can be eaten as they are, crunchy and chewy with a smoky, slightly nutty taste, but most cooks rehydrate them and finish them in a pan. The classic preparation is to fry them until crisp or to stew them in a tomato and onion sauce, sometimes with chili and groundnuts, so they soak up the flavor and soften. Served this way they make a rich relish eaten with pap in South Africa or sadza in Zimbabwe, turning a plate of porridge into a full, protein-heavy meal. Nutritionally they are impressive: very high in protein and iron, which has long made them an everyday food for rural households and, increasingly, a focus of interest for sustainable food production. They are also a genuine delicacy, sold in markets by the bucket and the bagful, and a source of seasonal income for the communities that gather them. For a first-time visitor the idea can be daunting, but eaten hot from a tomato stew with sadza, mopane worms are simply a savory, satisfying part of the regional table, and a food many people in the region grew up loving.