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Mopane Worms and Sorghum Porridge

Mopane Worms and Sorghum Porridge is a traditional Botswanan recipe (from Burkina Faso) for a classic dish of mopane worms in red palm oil served with sorghum flour porridge. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Botswanan version of: Mopane Worms and Sorghum Porridge.

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

50 minutes

Total Time:

70 minutes

Serves:

4

Rating:

Tags : Botswana Recipes

Mopane worms, also known as Phane in Setswana are the caterpilars of the moth Gonimbrasia belina, which are found throughout much of Southern Africa. It is an important source of protein form many Southern Africans. The recipe presented here comes from Botswana, but equivalent recipes are found throughout Southern Africa. The mopane worm derives its English name as it is usually found on the mopane tree, Colophospermum mopane. Mopane worms are hand-picked in the wild, often by women and children. In the bush, the caterpillars are not considered to belong to the landowner (if any), but around a house permission should be sought from the resident. When the caterpillar has been picked, it is pinched at the tail end to rupture the innards. The picker then squeezes it like a tube of toothpaste or lengthways like a concertina, and whips it to expel the slimy, green contents of the gut. The mopane caterpillar is then either cooked in a stew or dried for used at a later date.

The sorghum porridge presented in this recipe is also known as Bogape in Setswana.

Ingredients:

1l boiling water
200g dried mopane worms
2 tbsp red palm oil
1 tsp salt
200g sorghum flour

Method:

Pour the water into a pot and bring to a boil. Add the mopane worms and cook for 10 minutes then add the red palm oil and the salt. Bring back to a simmer and keep simmering for about 40 minutes, or until the liquid has almost all boiled away.

In the meantime, bring 500ml water to a boil. When boiling, whilst stirring constantly add the sorghum flour in a steady stream. Cook stirring constantly, until the mixture is very thick. Take off the heat, cover and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Adjust the seasonings to taste and serve the porridge to accompany the mopane worms.