East Africa · Street food
Nsenene (Spiced Fried Long-Horned Grasshoppers)
Crisp, golden long-horned grasshoppers pan-rendered in their own savory natural fats with onions, garlic, and fresh chilies.
The story
Cherished across Central and South-Western Uganda, particularly within Buganda cultural tradition, Nsenene harvesting corresponds with the heavy biannual rains of May and November. Historically plucked from tree canopies and illuminated iron sheets, these migratory insects were once reserved as royal tributes and harvested primarily by women and children. Remarkably, fresh nsenene contain enough endogenous lipid reserves that they fry completely in their own expelled fats without requiring added cooking oil.
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