Many people get repulsed at the thought of eating worms or caterpillars, but did you know they are quite the delicacy out here at Mopane Bush Lodge?
Tis the season for harvesting and thanks to one of our local chefs here at Mopane Bush Lodge, we bring you this delightful dish of mopane worm fried spring rolls. Want to try some??? Come on over and be surprises at how wonderful they really are!
Did you know that despite the name Mopane worm they actually are not worms at all.? In fact, they are large caterpillars from the emperor species moth, the Gonimbrasia belina.
According to the Food & Agriculture Association (FAO) which states, “The mopane caterpillar is one of the best known and most economically important forestry resource products of the mopane woodlands in southern Zimbabwe, Botswana and the northern South-Africa.”
This endemic and valuably nutritious food is beneficial to the region to maintain an ecological balance, as well as brings income to the general poor or rural area in which it’s harvested. The FAO states that 9.5 billion mopane caterpillars are harvested in mopane forest of South Africa which is worth US$85 million and 40% of that goes to the producers/harvesters.
You’d be surprised at how many people eat the mopane worms and how many recipes there are out there to cook them up. They can be added to stews, fried, and even eaten raw after cleaning. We hope you will come and try them for yourself!
