Several species of caterpillar are also eaten throughout the country. We were invited to enjoy the larvae of the Imbrasia. A large brown moth lays its eggs in sapelli trees. After the caterpillars are hatched, villagers collect and wash them. The caterpillars are then simmered with tomatoes, onions, and other ingredients according to a family’s recipe. Some may be dried or smoked for preservation. They can also be kept for up to three months for later use.

Caterpillars have an amazing amount of nutrition concentrated in a deceptively small package. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, dried caterpillars contain more than double the protein of beef. Food experts are rediscovering insects as a source of nourishment in developing lands.

Depending on the species of caterpillar eaten, just 3.5 ounces (100 g) can provide a large part of the daily requirements of such important minerals as calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc, as well as many vitamins. Additionally, flour made from ground caterpillars can be mixed into a pulp to supplement the diet of undernourished children.

Ella returned from the kitchen with a steaming entrée that grabbed everyone’s attention. With us were eight Central Africans with beaming smiles, and before us were two large bowls of caterpillars. As visitors, we received the honor of being served first, and generously so.

[Picture on page 27]

Uncooked makongo​—caterpillars