- Mummy Tales

I looked at the Nsenene, but I just couldn’t try them. I froze. I just couldn’t. I nevertheless asked Musoke what they tasted like, and he told me they taste like fresh chicken. Really Musoke, really? But still, that didn’t entice me.

However, Musoke told me not to worry, that the Nsenene come in different form. He told me that there are hawkers who sell the grasshopers when their wings and legs have already been removed. They then fry them with some onions, with them frying in their own fat, making the meal as natural as possible -a nutritious meal, he told me. Frying them this way makes the Nsenene very crispy and crunchy. Musoke then beckoned at another hawker who was selling Nsenene in a small transparent bucket. This is how they looked like:

Musoke then asked me to try them. I couldn’t. I just couldn’t. The main reason why I was scared of trying Nsenene was the thought of the abdomen’s contents bursting in my mouth, and all the contents overflowing in my mouth.

When I shared this with Musoke, he told me that in fact the best part about eating the Nsenene is when the abdomen of the grasshopper bursts in your mouth, releasing its contents. Waaah! Digehota.

Musoke went on to tell me that Nsenene is a great delicacy for Ugandans, because of its rich protein, fat and fibre. I asked him if the grasshoppers are eaten as an accompaniment with Ugali, and he said no, Nsenene are best eaten one one throwing them in your mouth–just like the way you eat groundnuts.

They are just a snack, he told me, a very good snack while stuck in traffic and you want to munch on something. Or when you’re watching your favorite movie at home. You just throw the grasshoppers one by one in your mouth, he told me. And that was my Nsenene experience in Kampala.

So, have you ever tried Nsenene? Did you like them?