Adivasi Women Train Youth on Forest Foods in India

Our report in this period will only cover one of our recordings about the delicious underrated forest food - larvae from red ants. 

In many parts of Central India, the Adivasis collect and eat the larvae of a species of red ants, oecophylla smaragdina. It builds its next by folding green leaves that are stuck together by larval silk by the worker ants. The nests are many species of trees and can be just a leaf folded over itself to larger nests of many leaves about half a meter in length. Though the larvae are collected through the year, the best time for this activity is in summer, this particular film is shot during the last week of May, the peak of summer in the sal forests of Bastar. The only tools required to go out and get a nest are a long bamboo pole bent like a hook at the tip and a basket.  As for skill, one needs the ability to recognize a mature nest from below. Harvesting immature nest yields no larvae and is a wasted effort. And one needs to be unmindful of a few bites that will burn and sting. 

Watch this short video with special thanks to Sadhu Nag for allowing us to film this. 

Links:

• Delicious Food from the Forest!

There is much to learn from Adivasi women on identifying seasonal wild foods! For this report, we highlight documentation work on one of the many insect species consumed as food in India - the winged termite swarmer, which swarms during rainy nights.

These insects can be easily collected by hand from the cracks and crevices they adhere to. Some people even eat them as they are collected! When abundant, these termites are sold by street vendors. The insects contain energy, protein, zinc, calcium, phosphorus, and equivalents of Vitamins A and E.

Curious to learn how this meal is prepared? Read on for the recipe:

1. Before consumption, the wings are removed. Only the body is edible.
2. To remove the wings, the insects need to be slightly warmed over a low fire and stirred constantly.
3. After heating, they are spread out on a plate or tray and allowed to cool.
4. Once cool, the tray or plate is gently shaken and blown over. The wings of the termites fly off, leaving only the edible part behind. One may use one's hands to finish the de-winging process too. 
5. Once dewinged, the insects are ready for consumption.
6. To garnish, one can add a few supplements, such as coconut slices and broken chickpeas. Many people and communities though eat these insects in their raw form.

Bon appetit!

Be part of our journey in documenting wild foods and indigenous food ways. Your donation to the Forest Food Field School in Adukkam will help support women experts to train the youth on identification, documentation and preparation of traditional foods in India.