"Long, slim, slimy ones.
Short, fat, juicy ones . . .
I'm gonna eat some worms."
(Click here for video. You gotta love Sol's gift for wrangling boy energy! Truly inspirational!)
While these crunchy critters are referred to as "worms," they are actually caterpillars--the larval phase of the Emperor moth. Yeah, that makes it better, right? Brings new meaning to the phrase "travel bug."
The funny thing about travel is that it pushes you to step outside your usual routine and try new things. With much laughter, my travel companions egging me on, "You should eat a really big one, Shana. Your students will be disappointed if you don't," and the knowledge that this was a chance to one-up our friend Dave (Associate Curator of Paleontology and self-proclaimed Bug Chef), I bit in. I wouldn't want to disappoint the children.
When I went to Australia last summer, Dave requested that I bring back some Witchetty Grub Soup. Our Australian tour guide laughed and said someone was pulling my leg when I explained to him what I was looking for in the way of souvenirs. I knew that Dave was quite sincere in his request. So this summer, when our guide Samantha cooked up some of these "worms" and served them on the final night of our trip, I saw a chance to redeem myself as importer of ingestible insects. I sidled up and quietly inquired, "So . . . did you pick them off the tree yourself or is there a place where one can buy them?" "No, I bought them. Why? Do you want to buy some? I'll show you where when we visit the market tomorrow." Success!
When I went to Australia last summer, Dave requested that I bring back some Witchetty Grub Soup. Our Australian tour guide laughed and said someone was pulling my leg when I explained to him what I was looking for in the way of souvenirs. I knew that Dave was quite sincere in his request. So this summer, when our guide Samantha cooked up some of these "worms" and served them on the final night of our trip, I saw a chance to redeem myself as importer of ingestible insects. I sidled up and quietly inquired, "So . . . did you pick them off the tree yourself or is there a place where one can buy them?" "No, I bought them. Why? Do you want to buy some? I'll show you where when we visit the market tomorrow." Success!
An important source of protein, these caterpillars are plucked from the Mopane trees where they feed, squeezed lengthwise like a tube of toothpaste to remove the guts, and then dried for long-term storage in a place where many people do not have access to refrigeration. Samantha boiled the dried "worms" in water for thirty minutes and then sauteed them with oil. She also recommends cooking them with chopped onions and tomato and maybe a little peanut butter. Mmm, yumm! She told us the rest of the staff were eager to snack on our plentiful leftovers.
(Fluffy did not partake in this particular delicacy, but then he never eats much.)
So where in the world were we? Remember, you'll need to guess all four countries. More clues to come!
Previous Clues:
Clue #1: Brrrr
Clue #2: Tea Time
Clue #3: Let's make tracks!
Clue #4: No Bones About It
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