By VOM News Team
Grasshopper hunters in Kisoro Municipality are at it again and this time, serious money is yet to be made.
Corrugated iron sheets tilted towards bright white lights, illuminate a mostly dark Kisoro Municipality at night, a clever trap used to draw in the highly nutritious and delicious insects.
Nsenene is locally known as Isanani in the Rufumbira dialect.
Though their presence is still scanty, consumers of the protein rich insect have confessed that a white polythene Kaveera, of uncooked Nsenene costs a cool 6000 Ugandan shillings.
A plastic cup of grasshoppers is going for 5000 Ugandan shillings.
Why the Fuss?
Ugandans’ love for grasshoppers is immeasurable.
Whether boiled or deep-fried, the love for Nsenene seems to grow and not diminish.
The longhorn grasshopper, Ruspolia differens commonly known as Nsenene is an important source of food to many African populations.
Deep frying is the most preferred method of preparation for street vendors as well as people preparing from their homes.
Interesting traditions and taboos associated with Nsenene consumption that have since faded included men monopolizing the insects as food by declaring the insects taboo for women and children.
The miracle insect, over the years, has boasted street trade empowering anyone to participate in the capturing and selling the delicious insect.
Several supermarkets have also found a way to preserve and sell them too.
Isanani also comes along with a dark side, the Nairobi fly.
The Nairobi fly is part of the beetle family, Staphylinidae, They can cause burns or dermatitis on human skin.
Attracted by the lights, the Nairobi fly, causes bodily harm to grasshopper hunters and to any one close to the vicinity of grasshopper landfall.
Happy hunting!!!
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