Southern Africa · Street food
Catatos (Sautéed Garlic Mopane Caterpillars)
Savory, protein-rich mopane caterpillars boiled and flash-sautéed with garlic, ripe tomatoes, and fiery malagueta chili until crisp.
The story
Catatos are harvested from the mopane woodlands across Huíla, Bié, and Huambo provinces by Ovimbundu and neighboring communities during the early rainy season. Sold widely by open-air zungueiras (street vendors) as an energy-dense afternoon snack, they deliver a deeply savory, nutty flavor profile reminiscent of roasted biltong. Traditionally, the spines and digestive tracts are stripped during primary bush processing before sun-drying, requiring modern cooks to perform a rigorous two-stage boil to reconstitute the dense flesh before frying.
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