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5 WEIRDEST FOODS YOU'LL FIND IN CONGO DRC!

(Congolese Foods)

In DRC there are excellent, delicious, and very good foods, they are also healthy. Except that there are foods that are delicious only after tasting them, which is obvious for any kind of food. In the DRC there are delicious but very weird foods. At first sight, they will not make you want to eat at all, but once in the mouth, it is difficult to realize the nature and the appearance that it had before. In this article, we will talk about Congolese food, especially the weirdest of them.

NYOKA (Snakes)

We start with the snake even if there are some people who eat it in a lot of countries. It is a reptile that probably scares everyone, eating it would also be very difficult. It deserves its place in our list of the weirdest foods in the DRC. From its appearance it gives us disgust but once well cooked with madesu (Beans), the snake is very delicious. So, how do we cook a snake?

The first step is to find some. In the DRC there are several forests, SO it is easy to find but difficult to capture; they are rarely sold in butcheries.

The second step is to wash it and remove its skin and head. After removing these, you have to remove its internal organs and cut the snake systematically into small pieces (the most known and eaten snakes are the moma or causus and the Kipiri or vipere).

The third step is to boil it in hot water over a fire or dry it in the sun.

The fifth step is to find the necessary ingredients, such as onion, and pepper, which are often used. At the end, the snake is grilled in vegetable oil. But some people soak the piece of snake in eggs or milk before grilling it to give it an even more intense flavor with the Congolese food Fufu.

In the mouth, it has everything: fish and chicken. If you are not informed, it is difficult to know that it is a snake that you are eating, and once in the mouth, it is also tough to spit it out because it is really very tasty.

BASOLOLO (Worms)

Generally, the worms of palm trees.They are a delicious traditional African food. Judging by their appearance, they do not give too much desire to taste. After cooking them however, the extraordinary flavor that they leave in your mouth is so fabulous that you will want more. How to cook the worm of palm trees?  First of all, it is necessary to wash them well; then it is necessary to remove the brown liquids being in their body, generally one folds them in two, or open a small hole to let the liquid out.

Secondly, you have to find a pot in which you will put your clean worms, throw in some onions that are cut into pieces, some bay leaves, some peppers, and then grill them. Note that you should not use oil in the cooking pot, the worms are mostly greasy. You may add some water but only a very small quantity. The last step is to savor, and at the end ask yourself if there is really a concordance between the flavor,, the delicious taste and the appearance of this Congolese food.

MBIZO/ MINGOLU (in Lingala/Kikongo) or Caterpillars in English

Caterpillars in DRC are the most consumed insects, we can say in all provinces of DRC, it is a food that is really healthy and full of proteins. They are foods that really deserve to be part of our list of the most bizarre Congolese foods.

The Mbizo is weird, but it’s not really that weird, it’s the way this food is marketed in the DRC, it’s so fascinating. How are the caterpillars cooked? The caterpillars are first caught from trees or plants, then smoked, and after 3 to 4 days, once  dried they are grilled directly in vegetable oil. They are very delicious.

MAKELELE (in lingala) or CRICKETs in English

In the DRC there are a lot of strange foods and crickets are not spared. Crickets in the DRC are widely consumed. They are grilled directly with vegetable oil. They have a very high nutritional value, and they deserve to be one of the most delicious traditional dishes of the Congolese people.

With a look not very interesting, you will have difficulty putting them in your mouth. But when well-cooked the crickets are of an incredible flavor, you will probably regret having hesitated. There are several types of cricket that are consumed in the DRC. In the southern part for example, we find house crickets in the south-central part of the DRC in particular.

BANDENGU (Kikongo) OR FLYING ANTS/TERMITES

Every November, the Congolese people can see the air invaded by flying ants, it is very entertaining. They are usually marketed in every corner of the DRC… This Congolese food is consumed dried in the sun and then roasted with vegetable oil and spices; but also one can prepare it without oil, or not dried.

They contain a lot of proteins which are necessary elements for the growth and maintenance of the organism, they also contain lipids. Because they live mostly underground, people have to observe where they are flying from and then dig the ground to collect them.

LAST WORDS

You will notice that these weirdest foods, in DRC, are mostly insects and at the same time are very traditionally consumed. Palm worms, crickets, flying ants, and caterpillars are a few examples of them. It is true that it is weird you might be reticent but there is a coherent reason more scientific than gustatory that would probably push you to eat them.

Researchers have proven that crickets, caterpillars, worms, and grasshoppers, are 5 times richer than a fresh orange juice in antioxidants, they are rich in B vitamins too. Insects are rich in fat and would be 3 times richer than beef. And according to a BBC magazine, edible insects are the future of the world in the food sector…is this an opportunity for the DRC? Stay up to date on DRC cultural trends by subscribing to our Facebook, Instagram Twitter pages and YouTube channel. Or find out about other exciting topics on the DRC.

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