Mbizo

I admit that whenever I am invited to a potluck, I desire to bring Mbizo. However, as the saying goes, “one man’s food is another man’s poison.” Therefore, I am aware that most people will not eat my Mbizo, let alone stand the sight of it. Nevertheless, I believe that Mbizo tastes way better than any pizza!

“Entomophagy or the practice of eating insects was adapted by humanity after hunters and gatherers observed what animals ate,” stated the world-renown professor Gene DeFoliart. In 2013, a group of students from McGill University discovered that there are approximately 2.1 billion people across the world that consume insects. Last year, a scientific journal: The value chain of the edible caterpillar Elaphrodes lactea Gaede (Lepidoptera: Notodontidae) in the Miombo forest of the Democratic Republic of the Congo by Oliver Bomolo and eight others reported that “there are about 2000 edible insects in the world, more than 500 of these insects are found in Africa. Over 200 species of insects are edible in the DRC.” Therefore, the DRC is arguably one of the hotspots of entomophagy.

Additionally, according to United Nations reports on food and agriculture, entomophagy is environmentally friendly as it produces less carbon dioxide than the consumption of meat. It is also economically sustainable as insects do not require much land and water. Perhaps if you tried some Mbizo, you would agree with me that they taste better than any pizza.

Mbizo is a particular type of caterpillar found in farms and forests during the butterfly season which is between March – April in some regions of the country, and July – August in the other regions. This seasonal cycle also implies that the Mbizo is more expensive when it is not the butterfly season.

The following are highlights of how to obtain my favourite yummy Mbizo flavour.

How Mbizo is prepared for sale

• Harvested in various ways, especially by hand.

• Squeezed to remove their insides.

• Poured in a small pot containing two to three tablespoons of water on a

coal pot.

• Stirred until the skin becomes hard.

• Poured on a mat in broad daylight and allowed to dry.

• Another more comfortable option is smoking the Mbizo on a heated coal

pot.

• The Mbizo is now ready for sale in quantities such as 1kg or a cup.

Mbizo can be fried to make it crunchy like potato chips, or it can be steamed for stew. Either way, it is often eaten with fufu (another Congolese dish made from cassava or maize flour) or bukari and a cooked vegetable.

Below are the ingredients we will need for cooking my Mbizo

Ingredients:

500g Mbizo

2 Diced red/purple Onions (preferably red/purple onion)

½ Teaspoon of salt

Maggi powder or liquid (not beef or chicken)

2 Fresh big hot peppers

Approximately 1/2 cup of any cooking oil (preferably vegetable oil)

3 Finely chopped Red-hot chillies

3 Finely chopped Fresh Tomatoes

3 Tablespoons of Peanut Butter

3 Cloves of finely grated Garlic

2 Tablespoons of Tomato Paste/Canned Tomatoes

Method:

1. Pour water in a basin or pot (size depend on the quantity of the Mbizo.

Usually, 500g requires a small basin or pot).

2. Soak the Mbizo in water overnight to make it soft and to remove dirt or

coal.

3. Rinse twice to ensure all the coal is removed.

4. Fill a small pot with ¼ litters of water and add the Mbizo.

5. Put the pot containing the Mbizo on the cooker.

6. Add 2 Teaspoons of Maggi.

7. Turn on the stove on medium.

8. Wait for about 30-45 minutes.

9. Measure approx. ½ cup of cooking oil.

10. Pour oil in a different pot to make soup.

11. Heat the oil.

12. Add onions, stir for 3 – 5 min.

13. Add garlic, stir for 3 – 5 min.

14. Add fresh tomatoes, stir for 3 – 5 min.

15. Add tomato paste, mix until evenly blended mixture is produced.

16. Add the fresh peppers, stir for 3 min.

17. Add the Mbizo in this mixture, stir for about 3 min.

18. Add the peanut butter and do not mix.

19. Decrease the heat from medium to low.

20. Cover pot for 10 – 15 min.

21. Stir for 3 min.

Mbizo is ready for consumption with fufu or bukari and cooked veggies. ENJOY and thank me later!!!

Nutritional Value:

Concentrated source of Protein