Foods are so different among different cultures that they occasionally appear outright bizarre. In my country with about 52 tribal groupings, what we eat in Uganda sometimes scares out right. But that is just Uganda-if you move across Africa, and then extended to other continents, then this thing we call food become complete night mare as my readers will find out here below.
Milk and Raw Blood
In Eastern Uganda Live the Karamojong. They are cattle keepers and survive for as long as their animals keep alive. They don't engage in meaningful agriculture because they must keep their animals well pastured and watered usually away from home in a semi nomadic style. They take mainly milk as food. But what typical Karimojong men eat is milk and blood. Men have special arrows which they use to shoot at a particular neck artery of a cow and then raw blood is drawn into a blood container and carefully mixed with fresh milk before every body is invited to gleefully drink it.
Grasshoppers and White ants
Insects are special foods of most communities in Uganda. All the 52 tribal groupings eat white ants. White ants are winged insects that appear during the rainy season and they can be eaten raw, in paste from, cooked as quick snacks in tomato cuttings or pounded into a mash when still fresh and cooked in various ingredients like ghee and peanut paste. Grasshoppers are also in various forms. But the most treasured in Central Uganda is called Nsenene. It is a green fast flying insect that every Central Ugandan considers a serious delicacy. Other grasshoppers eaten are Locusts.
Edible Giant Rats
In Northern Uganda edible rats are popularly known as Anyeri and they weigh about 5 kg and it is usually smoke dried before carefully mixing it up with peanut or simsim paste. The Head is reserved for important visitors or the Head of the house. Women don't eat the head of giant rats.
Special Zimbabwean Worms
A larvae stage of some insect in Southern Africa leaves most Zimbabweans women and men alike, climbing on top of trees to harvest the worms. It is sold in the local restaurants so expensively that only the middle class can afford it.
Biltong- South Africa
N South Africa, animals ranging from cattle to wild animals like spring bok,eland, or even elephants get cut up into strips and hung out to dry like dead snakes. Once it is dry, it is ready for consumption. It is a national snack for all rugby supporters.
