Ingredients
Termites
- 500 gflying termites, enswa
- with the wings removed
- water, for rinsing
To cook
- 1 teaspoonsalt
- a little oil, if needed
Sometimes added
- 1onion, finely sliced
- 1chilli, chopped
- a squeeze of lemon
To serve
- eaten on their own
- or with matoke or posho
- as a snack with tea
Directions
- Toss them so the wings blow off. A hairdryer on cold also works. Tip them out into a large colander. Rinse them briefly under cold water.
- Pick out any remaining wings or debris. Drain them thoroughly afterwards. Pat them dry on a clean cloth.
- Heat a heavy dry pan over a medium heat. Add the termites in a single layer. Work in batches rather than crowding the pan. They need no oil at all at first.
- Stir them constantly with a wooden spoon. They release fat within a minute or two.
- Keep stirring so they colour evenly. Give them about eight minutes. Add a little oil only if the pan goes dry. Judging them takes a look and a taste.
- Taste one to check the texture. Salting them is done at the end. Scatter salt over them while still hot. Toss them well to coat them evenly. Add chilli to them if you want heat.
- Squeeze lemon over if you like. Tip them out onto kitchen paper. Let the excess fat drain away. Serving them is done warm or cold.
Technique
- Enswa are the winged reproductive termites, called alates, which emerge in enormous numbers after heavy rain and fly toward light, which is what makes trapping them with a lamp and sheeting possible.
- Uganda also eats nsenene, which are grasshoppers swarming at a different time of year, and the two are often confused by visitors.
- Edible insects contain tropomyosin, which cross-reacts with shellfish and dust mite allergies, so anyone allergic to shellfish may react to them.
Substitutions
- There is no substitute, since the food is the insect itself.
- Dried termites are sold at Ugandan markets outside the swarming season.
Variations
- Some cooks fry them with sliced onion and chilli as a fuller relish.
- A version dried in the sun keeps for far longer.
- Nsenene, the grasshoppers, are prepared much the same way.
History
Termite alates swarm after rainstorms and are trapped at night with lamps and sheeting; they are richer in fat than most meat.
Frequently asked questions
What is Enswa?
Enswa is a snack from Uganda: flying termites caught at the first rains, fried crisp and salted. Termite alates swarm after rainstorms and are trapped at night with lamps and sheeting; they are richer in fat than most meat.
How long does Enswa take to make?
Enswa takes 20 minutes of preparation and 15 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 4. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Enswa?
Yes, within limits. There is no substitute, since the food is the insect itself. Dried termites are sold at Ugandan markets outside the swarming season.
What is the most important thing to get right in Enswa?
Heat a heavy dry pan over a medium heat. Add the termites in a single layer. Work in batches rather than crowding the pan. They need no oil at all at first.
