Delicacy with health benefits

Kakamega residents feed on white ants. The insects, a common delicacy in Western Kenya, are said to heal athritis and other ailments. [photo: BENJAMIN SAKWA/standard]

White ants or chiswa as they are popularly known in Western are a delicacy among the Luhya community eaten raw (alive or dead) or after they are fried.

They usually come out of the ground when it rains after a long dry spell. They like warm weather, live in the soil and hibernate during cold weathers.

In Busia, Vihiga, Kakamega and Bungoma counties, residents beat drums to entice the insects to come out of the ground but at times, they just come out on their own.

Climate change has contributed to the insects not coming out of the ground in the months they are usually expected.

Currently, there is a shortage of termites in most parts of Western region, which has been blamed on unreliable weather patterns, forcing the insects to hibernate in the soil.

Farmers also claim the scarcity of the insects is due to application of chemical fertilisers in the soils when planting. In the larger Western region, the insects have drastically reduced because of DAP fertilisers that sugarcane farmers apply on their farms. This has also affected the growth of traditional mushrooms.

“We are experiencing a short in supply of the insects from areas where they are known to come out in plenty. The fertilisers we use kill soil nutrients, leading to the scarcity termites and mushrooms," says Mwagumu Bakari, a business lady in Kakamega market.

Termites are highly nutritious, making their demand to increase. The price has gone up due to the acute shortage. Two kilogrammes of termites currently goes for Sh1,000.

Traders who sell the insects at the Kakamega open air market say the demand is so high they cannot satisfy their customers with the little supply they get from traditional suppliers.

“Farmers apply fertilisers, which have chemicals to their crops to increase productivity. That has led to disappearance of termites and soils are acidic,’’ said Beatrice Mukasi.

The insects are rich in proteins, fats, iron and calcium. They are tasty when cooked. Birds also eat them when they fly in the atmosphere.

Scientists have come out with new methods of producing termites outside their natural habitats.

Scientists are currently carrying out an experiment on how to increase the breeding of white ants throughout the year to meet the increasing demand.

It is believed that termites neutralise white blood cells for people living with HIV and prolong their lives. It is also said to cure arthritis.

Because they don’t have cholesterol, eating the insects is also said to increase one’s life-span. You don’t need oil to cook them because they are naturally high in oil.

Traders say termites cannot be compared to meat proteins as cows are often injected, thus weakening their protein content. The insects’ proteins, they say, are pure and natural.

The bigger termites are often harvested in April, while the small ones are harvested in October, September, November and December.

The traders believe that man must have tampered with nature, leading to scarcity of the insects.

They have also decried the Western lifestyle, which many people have embraced, thus neglecting the traditional one like eating traditional vegetables.

“Africans need to go back to their traditional foods. We have forgotten our values as Kenyans and we need to rethink the meals we take because it has led to increased diseases,” said Mukaisi.

Clearing of bushes where the insects usually inhabit is also said to have contributed to their scarcity.

Past generations lived longer because they ate such kinds of foods. Termites can be eaten with ugali or tea.