Mopane Worms

Mashonzha, or mopane worms, are the caterpillars of the emperor moth Gonimbrasia belina, which feed on mopane trees across the Limpopo lowveld. They are harvested by hand twice a year, in about December and again around April, squeezed to remove the gut contents, and then dried in the sun or salted, after which they keep for months. Dried, they are eaten as they are - dry, crisp and quite bland - or, more usually, rehydrated and cooked with onion, tomato and chilli into a relish eaten with pap. The protein content is high and the harvest is a significant rural income across northern South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe, gathered mostly by women. Supermarkets in Limpopo stock them in bags beside the dried beans. Squeamishness is the main obstacle; the taste is closer to dried mushroom than to anything alarming.

What you actually see

• An emperor moth caterpillar - harvested off mopane trees twice a year.
• Dried or salted - gutted and sun-dried, keeping for months.
• Cooked as relish - rehydrated with onion, tomato and chilli, eaten with pap.
• A rural income - a significant seasonal harvest across the north.

When to go

December to January and April to May for the harvest. An hour at a market.

Honest expectations

The appearance is the barrier for most visitors, not the taste. Dried worms straight from the bag are bland and very dry. Harvest pressure and drought have reduced yields in places. Hygiene at roadside stalls varies.

Nearby

Mapungubwe is north-west; the Kruger's northern gates are east.