Private Story
Nsenene: November's gift to Ugandans
Insect lovers cannot wait for their favourite snack that they enjoy with a cold beer, black tea or just water.
Believed to be a sign of happiness, they are seen in areas that are windy and special white lights, a trap that is used to attract and direct them into drums
hey are mostly harvested in the areas of Masaka, Fortportal at the Gahinga hills, Hoima Kaiso road and of late Rwanda in the Virunga mountains along Kagituma border.
They are packed in sacks of around 25-35kg and driven all the way to Busega, Kyengera and Katwe.
The markets where they are taken after for plucking, cleaning, sometimes cooking and selling include Nakasero,Nateete,Kitintale,Bugolobi market and Kyaliwajala Namugongo market among others. There are two ways of preparing grasshoppers in the markets.
Aisha Nassanga,one of the famous nsenene chefs in Nakasero market. She cooks the insects till they achieve their golden brown colour and delivers them hot and spicy.
They add sunflower and cooking oil to make a special oil that they use to fry these insects.Boiled grasshoppers are sold immediately because they can't last for more than two days.In a small makeshift structure, she occupies a small corner where two big saucepans are placed on huge charcoal stoves. As she stirs and spices up, customers are waiting in line with polythene bags for the delicacy. She has an everyday job of selling bananas and Gonja but whenever its grasshopper time, she abandons her job to cook the delicacy for different individuals as its more beneficial. A 49-year-old widow and mother of 6 who has done this job for over 20 years and has managed to build a house for her children. She has also managed to educate them and live a modest life.
She believes they are a sign of happiness and a unifying factor in the country as people from different tribes and continents eat them. Most people look forward to that time of the year to enjoy this delicacy.
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