The Ants Go Marching On

From my sitting room, I can hear children incessantly called “Wooooooo wooooooo wooooooooooo” in hope of  calling the white ants from their homes.  Children huddle over these holes dug in the ground for hours at a time collecting white ants as they come.  I’m skeptical whether singing or screaming to the ants actually makes them come, but it certainly entertains the children for the whole day.  Beyond entertainment, the children are so enthralled because white ants are a delicacy in Uganda.  They are called “white ants,” but in reality they are termites.  Some come out in the day, like the ones that the children are after, while others must be caught at night, around 4 am.  Once they are “harvested,” the white ants are fried with oil and salt, and the bodies are separated from the wings.  Yes, I have eaten white ants on multiple occasions.  If prepared well, they are pretty tasty, but you can’t look too closely at what you’re eating!

Below are some photos of my family preparing the white ants by separating the wings from their bodies.  YUM!