Charlotte LR Payne
Charlotte LR Payne
  • About
  • Research
    • Traditional entomophagy in Japan >
      • An overview
      • Wild foraging and food insecurity
      • Imported insects compensate for a decline in wild foraging
    • The ‘semi domestication’ of wasps for use as food in contemporary Japan >
      • What can we learn from insect 'semi-domestication'?
    • Public health and edible insects
    • Wild and semi-wild harvesting in Zimbabwe
    • Wild harvesting in DRC
    • Gender roles in insect foraging and management
    • Edible insects in San Antonio Etlatongo, Oaxaca, Mexico
  • Publications
  • Blog
  • 日本語

Caterpillar touring

3/21/2014

0 Comments

 
Could this become a new holiday pursuit? Sort of like wine tasting tours? 

Perhaps. Then again perhaps not… Either way i feel very fortunate to be funded to do this for research purposes: Travelling from town to town through the beautiful southern African countryside, searching every marketplace for caterpillar salespersons, and asking them about their wares. Almost without exception I'm greeted with smiles and laughter (I think due to a mixture of surprise and ridicule … in a good way), as people tell me to try before I buy and explain how I should cook them. 

In just three days touring the caterpillar markets of Limpopo on public transport, I've counted at least 31 hours spent in minibuses looking at the ever changing South African landscape passing by (often to some great music - but my favourite remains this reggae cover of a country classic: ). The photo above shows just how changeable it is, with bright sunshine one minute and a sudden thunderstorm the next (sort of like home…)

Here are a couple of examples of the scenes I came across along the way: 
Picture
Picture
The photo on the left shows a lady in Tzaneen with the brightest smile, her happiness on being asked to be photographed almost complimented by well-meant teasing from the kid in the background... and the photo on the right shows a tall and handsome entrepreneurial seller in Polokwane, flirting with a customer.

And here is a simple but delicious recipe, cooked by Sophie (who works for Koos and Lucia, the couple whom I must thank for giving me a really lovely and welcoming place to come home to after each day of travelling)

Picture
Ingredients: Dried caterpillars, chopped tomatoes and onions, cooking oil, salt

Directions: 
1) Put the caterpillars in boiling water to reconstitute and leave for five minutes.. 
2) Drain the caterpillars and empty into another container; wash the saucepan with cold water; this should get rid of any dirt that came with the caterpillars. 
3) Return the caterpillars to the clean saucepan, cover with boiling water and add the tomatoes, onion, salt (generous) and a splash of cooking oil. Leave this to boil for about 20 minutes. 
4) When the caterpillars are soft and most of the water reduced (photo, left), they're ready to eat.
Picture
and, if you like, you can serve this with pasta bake and salad! (home cooked by Lucia, who also introduced me to the simple but delicious South African melkkos)
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

      NEW: Subscribe here for email updates!

    Subscribe

    Categories

    All
    Agriculture
    Burkina Faso
    Caterpillars
    DRC
    Events
    Fieldwork
    Grasshoppers
    Japan
    Media
    Mexico
    Nutrition
    Publication
    Recipes
    Silkworm
    Southern Africa
    Termites
    UK
    Video/slideshow
    Wasps/hornets

    Tweets about @libertyruth

    Blog archives

    March 2019
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    January 2013

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.