Crunch, crackle and culture: Uganda’s nsenene craze

Food & culture · 21 November 2024

By Tessa Nyongarwizi

Nsenene are grasshoppers, eaten across Uganda as a seasonal snack and delicacy. They appear in May, November and early December, and November is the season people look forward to most. The rains draw them out, and the catch begins after dark.

How the season works

• Night harvest: catchers lure the insects with bright bulbs and wide metal sheets. Nyendo, in Masaka, is a well-known example.
• Markets and roadsides: vendors sell them fresh and fry them in large pans over open fires.
• Taste: savoury, a little nutty and naturally salty, with a crisp bite. Many people add salt and chilli.
• Sharing: families and friends gather around the fires, often eating from paper cones as they talk.

For visitors

Travellers who hesitate at first often end up converts. The article presents nsenene as a symbol of home and family that links generations and introduces visitors to Ugandan food traditions. If you are travelling in November, ask your guide where to find them.

Summary prepared by Lake George Safaris from material published by Explore Uganda on 21 November 2024 (by tessa nyongarwizi). Details are summarised in our own words; figures and facts belong to the original publisher.