Termite Queens Are Often Consumed For Reasons That You Would Never Suspect
Termite Queens Are Often Consumed For Reasons That You Would Never Suspect
Termites are among the most popular types of edible insects. In edible insect-friendly areas of the world, the taste of termites is undeniably enjoyed by most people. Apparently, termites make for the perfect type of comfort food, only they are nutritious, unlike chips and other comfort foods. Most edible termite connoisseurs will insist that termite soldiers are the best tasting types of termites. When it comes to edible termites, queen termites are rarely, if ever, considered as edible insects. This is due to the fact that queen termites are incredibly difficult to find. Even seasoned termite hunters can go their entire lives without ever locating a termite queen. It is only on the rarest of occasions that a queen termite can be obtained for consumption. This is not to say that eating termite queens is unheard of, as the consumption of termite queens has been documented as occurring for centuries. Many of the ideas that people used to have concerning the consumption of termite queens may seem pretty strange to modern people, but many myths about termite queens persist in certain regions of the world to this very day.
Obtaining termite queens is not easy, as entire mounds have to be destroyed in order for people to gain access to the queen’s royal chamber. Due to various beliefs, many African cultures consider the termite queen to be unfit for human consumption, except for in special circumstances. For example, termite queens are given to malnourished children in Zambia, and also to ill people in Cameroon. This is due to the queen termites enormous size relative to other termites. The queen’s superior size makes them particularly nutritious, and therefore ideal for consumption by sick or malnourished people. In Mali, it is believed that eating termites will increase a person’s importance in the eyes of the public. The royals of Yoruba in Benin regularly eat termite queens in order to cultivate a reverence for themselves among the populace. Also, among the Haya of Tanzania and the Ganda of Uganda only chiefs and kings are allowed to consume termite queens. And of course, queen termites are often consumed for their alleged aphrodisiac qualities. Queen termites are eaten for this reason in countries such as Senegal, Benin and Zimbabwe.
Would you be willing to consume a queen termite even though they grow to be four full inches in length?
