Interesting Angola Foods - Mopane Worms. Yum!

Mopane worm is the colloquial name for the caterpillar form of the mopane emperor moth. Widely distributed throughout the Cunene River region of southern Angola, the caterpillars feed on the leaves of the mopane tree and are popular with people as a food item.

Angolans living in the rural areas in the southern region like to eat these worms because they are highly nutritious and are a good source of protein. Mopane worms are often hand-picked by children and women and when it is picked, it is pinched at the tail end to rupture the inwards. The picker then squeezes it like a tube of toothpaste or lengthwise like a concertina, and whips it to expel the slimy, green contents of the gut.

The traditional method of preserving these worms is to dry them in the sun or smoke them, giving additional flavour. The industrial method is to can these caterpillars (usually in brine), and tins of mopane worms can be found in rural supermarkets and markets around southern Africa.