East Africa · Street food
Nswaa (Lightly Salted Pan-Toasted Flying White Ants)
Crunchy, earthy, and naturally buttery pan-roasted winged termites tossed with sea salt and fiery chilies.
The story
Across Northern, Central, and Eastern Uganda, the onset of heavy seasonal rains triggers the nocturnal nuptial flight of winged reproductive termites known locally as Nswaa or Ngwen. Harvesters attract them around clay mounds using grass torches or lanterns, catching them in woven baskets before early morning markets open. Entomophagy experts prize nswaa because their abdomens are rich in oleic and palmitic fats, meaning they naturally fry in their own extracted lipids without needing added cooking oil.
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