Dried Edible African Mopane Worms

Mopane worms are the caterpillar of the Emperor moth (Gonimbrasia belina), which lives most of its life on the mopane tree. They lay their eggs on the tree leaves, which the larvae feast on as soon as they hatch. After filling themselves until bursting point (they will molt their skin several times), the worms are then ready for harvesting.

After harvesting, the worms are squeezed at one end to expel a bright green liquid of semi-digested leaves and guts. If any parts of the leaves remain in the worms, it will pass on tea-like flavor into the worms. The remaining body of the worm is then dried, pickled, smoked, or fried to the consumers different tastes. Some people say the fried and smoked worms are similar in taste to the jerky-like biltong or a well-cooked steak, while other people say that they have an earthy, vegetable aroma.

Mopane worms are an important supplement for protein-poor diets in Africa. The flesh contains around three times more protein than regular beef.