My friends in the eastern part of Nigeria think just because i live in Lagos, i live in paradise. Like we’re all just out here where everything happens, sipping champagne, catching fun…just like a permanent vacation. Are they insane? Do they think the polluted atmosphere here is better than breathing in fresh air early in the morning or watching squirrels move around the tall trees in search of food? How can they possibly think that the hustle and bustle over here is better than the serene natural way of life over there.
Hell, i haven’t caught my own food in over a year since my last visit to the village where i went snail hunting and quite frankly it sucks. Apart from snail hunting back then, another favorite pastime of mine was watching villagers place full buckets of water under florescent tubes to catch falling winged termites.
Yeah you heard correctly, Termites!!!. I’ve always been a curious person who loves trying out new things so i don’t even consider myself a picky eater. i believe being picky restricts and puts me in a box which is an enclosure i never want to find myself in. I recall my childhood friends used to be crazy about it, and it was actually fun joining them hunt, prepare by frying and finally eating it. It goes by different names such as ; Aku “Igbo”, Ogan / esunsun/ Iba “Yoruba”, Shinge “Hausa”, Edon doroko “Bini”.
They’re usually pushed out during the raining season. Termites are rich in protein and packed full of nutrients . Believe me when i say it’s really tasty with a nutty flavor. They can be eaten alone as a snack or as an accompaniment to a number of savory dishes. In places like Anambra [orumba/aguata] , it’s usually used to cook igbangwu aku a.k.a maize pudding with termites :D. In some other places, it’s even used to cook okra soup or egusi soup.
Flying termites are visible when their colony swarms. Swarms are provoked by heavy rainfall and warm, humid temperatures among other triggers and most times are attracted to fluorescent tubes or bright light . Swarms occur when established colonies produce winged male and female termites in order to reproduce. These flying termites are fed some of the best food the nest has to offer and are well taken care of until the big day. As such, they are loaded with fat stores designed to last them for a few months. After these mating flights, fertilized termites shed their wings and go on to establish new colonies. Have you eaten termites? what do you think about it.
