There are other options. Stew, or fried with spices?
Eat your bugs - harvesting edible stink-bugs.
Stink-bugs are used in some cultures to add flavour to stews. In Venda they are eaten for their own sake.The edible stink-bug Encosternum delegorguei (Heteroptera, Tessaratomidae) known in Venda as 'thongolifha', is a useful winter harvest. Unlike the mopane worm, or Mashonzha, which overwinters underground in the subterranean pupa stage before turning into the mopane emperor moth, thongolifha overwinter in the adult stage and never go underground. This means that the fully grown thongolifha can be harvested in winter when there is little other food available.
Harvesters selling the prepared stinkbugsIn a group of 8 women collectors studied, it was found that the edible stink-bugs are collected at dawn while it is cold and they are less mobile. As the day warms up the bugs become extremely vigilant and fly away when disturbed. In South Africa's northern province of Limpopo and in its eastern province of Mpumalanga, the stinkbugs are harvested with naked hands and the defensive secretions of the bugs causes a characteristic orange stain. In some other regions the hands may be protected with a plastic bag. The harvested bugs are collected in large woven plastic bags, such as those used for maize meal.
Preparing the meal
Edible stink-bugs left to sundry.Edible stinkbugs after harvesting.The first step in the preparation is to separate all dead bugs, leaves and debris from the live bugs. The live bugs are placed in a bucket and a small amount of warm water is added before the bugs are stirred with a wooden spoon. This causes the bugs to release their alarm or defensive pheromones. The overpowering cloud of defensive secretions is so strong that it hurts the eyes and the harvesters turn their heads away and close their eyes to protect them. After a while, warm water is added and the insects are rinsed.
This process is repeated three times before the insects are boiled in water and killed. If any dead bugs are accidentally left with the live bugs, it is not possible for the dead bugs to release their defence secretions. These bugs can be identified during subsequent quality control because their ventral surface is blackened by the stink glands and they are rejected for human consumption. The cooked bugs are then sun dried on an empty maize bag.
The preparation procedure above can only be used for live bugs, so an alternative preparation is used for dead bugs. The heads of the dead bugs are removed and the thorax and abdomen are squeezed between the thumb and index finger. This causes a translucent pale green gland to be exuded through the neck of the dead insect, and this is wiped off on a rock. The bugs are then boiled and sun-dried as in the previous procedure. The dried
bugs may be eaten as snacks or sold at the markets. They can also be fried with salt and a little water, until the water evaporates and then served with pap (mealie meal).