Grasshoppers – nsenene: eat them or smoke them? Discuss.
Jun 10, 09
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Charlotte nsenene grasshopper

Grasshoppers “nsenene” – will you eat them or smoke them?

A storm had been brewing since an intensely hot morning and a few drops of rain spattered onto my new umbrella as I walked out of the Buganda Road restaurant.

Little did I know what I was heading into.

It was fun at first, stepping though the raindrops, tremendous cracks of thunder overhead but within a few steps it was ‘coming down stair rods’, a solid, vertical downpouring. I hung onto the umbrella hard but it only served to keep my head and bag dry(ish) as waves engulfed my feet and a strong wind – from nowhere – washed the sheets of hard rain against my body. Wet to the bone in seconds, continuing my walk was no longer an option. I stood beside a bright yellow vendor’s kiosk and screamed as water funnelled down the back of my T shirt.

Torrents of water gushed downhill and the previously busy streets emptied of all but the biggest 4x4s and the maddest matatu [minibus] drivers.

My shelter in the storm was one of many kiosks, this one – in the middle of Kampala – being a very modern fibreglass job where you can buy airtime and load money onto your phone. Most are a patchwork of wood, like a garden shed (only of less sound construction!)

I was wondering what to do when someone pushed open the flap at the front of the fiberglass cabin. A head poked out and shouted “Come in! Come this way!” above the din of the rain. I ran round the side of the booth and took refuge with a man and a lady in the dark metre-square box.

“Thank you for the shelter!” I screamed above the rain, and we laughed as Juma peeled off his shirt and wrung out a pint of water onto the floor.

As the rain pelted down, we spent the next twenty minutes in the dark, talking about the rainy season, Ugandan politics and the cultural differences such as food in Uganda, specifically in relation to eating grasshoppers, or nsenene in Luganda, currently in season.

I said I don’t eat grasshoppers because ‘silya enyama’ [I don’t eat meat] but apparently nsenene are not classed as meat.

“I try not to eat them any more” Juma mused, “even though I l like them.” He looked into the distance thoughtfully and spoke like someone trying to give up the fags.

In Kenya he said the same grasshoppers are collected and put on the fire, the smoke believed to keep ghosts away. An educated man, we agreed that eating dogs like the Chinese do wasn’t something we intended to try!

Food in Uganda. The muzungu's first taste of grasshoppers (nsenene)
The muzungu’s first taste of grasshoppers (nsenene)… it took me two years to pluck up the courage to try them. Verdict: smoky (nice) but greasy (not nice) – and let’s not even mention legs etc!!
Nsenene grasshopper seller Entebbe
Nsenene or grasshopper seller in Entebbe, Uganda. I worry about how long they’ve been sweating in that bucket …
As food from Uganda goes, nsenene are pretty unique. Twice a year, it’s a thriving industry, with vendors selling huge bucketloads of them on busy street corners during rush hour in Kampala.
 
If you enjoy my nsenene stories, read Grasshopper road trip to Fort Portal.

Do you eat Nsenene? Or do you prefer eating Enswa (white ants)?

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15 thoughts on “Grasshoppers – nsenene: eat them or smoke them? Discuss.”

  1. Pingback: URL
  2. Christine says:

    Hey,

    I just discovered your blog from your article in the Daily Telegraph and it is really interesting. I like to write about different culinary trends around the world, and I seem to be obsessed about insects. Just out of curiosity, what is the strangest thing you’ve eaten in Uganda?

    1. the muzungu says:

      Hi Christine, I think nsenene [grasshoppers] must be the strangest thing I have eaten. They are no. 15 on my 50 reasons why I love Uganda – Diary of a Muzungu | Uganda travel blog If you look at my face on this page, you’ll see they weren’t my favourite! The taste was ok, but they’re greasy. It was the thought of eating wings and legs that put me off … some of my friends go absolutely crazy for grasshoppers though.
      Some Ugandans also eat enswa [white ants]. In The Kingfisher and I – bird watching, dog walking and flying ants! Kampala

      1. Mukwaya says:

        So interesting to find our special delicacy ENSENENE here

        1. the muzungu says:

          I think there are a lot more Ugandan delicacies I still have not tried. I liked the smoky taste of grasshoppers but I found them a bit greasy. They are very high in protein, aren’t they?

  3. Virtual Private Servers says:

    Many people are bitten when they remove the grasshoppers from the drums, and get swollen faces and arms

  4. Virtual Private Servers says:

    Results show that R. nitidula is a delicacy and cultural food eaten by the majority of the people in central Uganda.

  5. Rosma says:

    Nsenene . The wings and legs are plucked off before frying. They are so greasy that actually self fry. They can also keep for up to one year in the state. Healthy and nutritious. We love them. #nsenene

    1. the muzungu says:

      I love nsenene more and more! Such a great snack!

  6. Grace says:

    It thing is great, when I smell it, it is a must test or else no sleep that day.
    Its so sweet

    1. the muzungu says:

      Yum 🙂

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