East Africa · Street food
Insenene (Pan-Fried Grasshoppers)
Crispy, golden, naturally savoury pan-fried grasshoppers seasoned with red onion, garlic, and hot bird's eye chili for a quintessential evening snack.
The story
During the torrential rainy seasons of November and May across Rwanda, swarms of green and brown Insenene (long-horned grasshoppers) are captured under bright village spotlights and iron sheets. Sold by dynamic street hawkers wrapped in paper cones across Kigali and provincial trading centres, they represent a highly prized seasonal delicacy. A fascinating culinary secret is that Insenene require virtually no added cooking oil; their abdomen reserves render copious savoury lipids as they hit a hot dry pan.
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