The current status of the mophane worm industry

The mophane worm, Imbrasia belina Westwood or Phane in Setswana is an important
protein source in Botswana and many other southern African countries. The worm is
harvested mostly in the north-eastern part of the country. Many people, particularly
women are engaged in the harvesting of the worm. They cook, dry and sell the
product. It is therefore an important rural industry.....http://www.iff.ac.at/socec/affil/conference99/pdf/rpAllotey.pdf

Mophane worm for AIDS patients!

A diet supplemented with South Africa's edible bugs and worms could help the country's many Aids patients boost their nutrition levels, entomologists said on Wednesday.

The Mopane worm (Imbrassia belina), a delicacy in parts of southern Africa, is considered particularly healthy because of its high protein, crude fat and mineral content, said Rob Toms of the Transvaal Museum in Pretoria.....http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=125&art_id=qw105956892018B232&set_id

Try out these recipes, they work!

PHANE GRIND

Ingridients


Phane


Method of preparation

Grind phane with pistol and motal or is equivalent.


Serving suggestions

Sprinkle over starches such as pastas or rice for relish.






PHANE STEW


Ingridients

½ Onion (rings)
½Tomato
1 carrot (thin)
½ cucumber cubes
1 cup Phane
1tbsp cooking oil
1 cup of water
Seasoning: ground ginger and roux sauce or your preference.


Cooking Method

Bring one cup of phane to boil.(15mins)
When soft and swollen, take out the phane into a plate.
Stir fry, onion, carrot and cucumber.
Add the phane into the stir fry, stir.
Add cucumber and tomato.
Season to taste.
Thicken with the roux sauce as may be desired.

Serve hot with starches. E.g. rice of phaletshe/papa or bogobe


RAW PHANE


Ingredients

Raw phane



Serving suggestions

Raw phane (Alone)



PHANE PASTE



Ingredients

1tbsp mayonnaise
1 tomato sauce
1 tbsp phane grind

Cooking method

Make a to-mayo mix. (tomato sauce plus mayonnaise)
Then add the phane grind to the mix. (for flavour and protein)
Stir the paste until phane is evenly distributed.

Serving suggestion:

Spread on bread to make sandwiches.
Dip boiled eggs in the paste or chips or crackers.
Thicken mixtures such as mash potatoes.

Botswana 5 Pula Mophane Worm!

Minted only in 2000, this coin is the only one I know of which features a caterpillar! On the obverse the coin bears the National Coat of Arms and the words "Botswana Ipelegeng" and the year 2000. On the reverse, the coin bears an image of a "Mophane Worm" (Gonimbrasia Belina) feeding on a Mophane Leaf and the denomination '5 PULA' written on top.

The green and blue spiky taste of the Noctunal Emperor Moth

One dish that might be considered an acquired taste, is that of the Mopane Worm, the green and blue spiky caterpillar of the nocturnal Emperor Moth. It looks very pretty on the butterfly-leafed Mopane Tree, but loses some of its appeal once its innards have been squeezed out, and it has been boiled and sun dried, then re-hydrated when needed.
Containing 60% protein and significant amounts of phosphorus, iron and calcium, it is unrivalled as an easily obtainable source of free food for people living in the broad leaf savannah of Botswana, Zimbabwe and northern parts of South Africa..... http://lodges.safari.co.za/African_Travel_Articles-travel/mopane-worms.html