In Maiduguri, a taste of crunchy fried grasshoppers

When I asked my journalist friends and colleagues in Maiduguri what the perfect gift from Maiduguri would be for my friends and family back in Abuja, I never expected I would be getting a chorus of ‘fara’. “What is that?” I asked and the response I got was the driver told to drive straight to […]

When I asked my journalist friends and colleagues in Maiduguri what the perfect gift from Maiduguri would be for my friends and family back in Abuja, I never expected I would be getting a chorus of ‘fara’. “What is that?” I asked and the response I got was the driver told to drive straight to where fara was sold.

Crunch, crunch was all I could hear as my colleagues munched on fara (that’s fried grasshoppers). The look on my face I’m sure gave me away, as one of them said to me, “Hajiya, you should try it, it’s very delicious.”

Well, I wouldn’t be fair to my adventurous personality if I didn’t at least give it a try. So I took one fried grasshopper out of someone’s pack. I pinched off the legs and removed the head and a big laughter ensued amongst my colleagues.

“Hajiya, if you really want to enjoy the real taste of fara, you need to eat it whole. That’s the only way to enjoy it.”

“Really, David?” I asked. He nodded and went on devouring his hot spicy fara.

Could I summon the resolve to eat a grasshopper? I asked myself and as if Godiya could read my mind, she said, “It’s an excellent source of protein.”

I did just that. I didn’t want the taste to end. It was crunchy and tasted just like fried prawns. The taste and even the texture are familiar. The crunch mixes with the garlic taste and a hint of chili seasoning.

It’s certain that not everyone will be that adventurous to eat insects and think it to be sumptuous but in Maiduguri, spicy deep fried grasshoppers is a must-have snack enjoyed by everyone: the elderly, young and visitors like us.

Elizabeth Innocent is popular on the city’s Damboa Road for her crunchy spicy fried grasshopper. The mother of three has been in the business for over five years and the proceeds of this business has enabled her to educate her children.

25 year-old Elizabeth Innocent, an indigene of Benue state, who has been in the business of fried grasshoppers was swamped by buyers but had time to speak to me regarding her business. She began living in Maiduguri when she married her husband and took up the business of fara almost immediately after marriage.

Speaking on how they get the grasshoppers as these insects come in season, she explains that the Kanuris have a particular way they attract and set nets to capture the grasshoppers in the bush. They then bring the hoppers to a place called Shagari Low Cost, where Elizabeth and others who sell the finished product buy from.

She explains the procedure of cleaning before she deep fries them “After buying it, we come home, wash it, remove the wings, parboil it and dry it outside. While parboiling it, we put salt, seasoning and lime to make the grasshopper really clean and have a nice taste when we eventually fry it. Then we go ahead and dry it. The drying process takes a day. I do this every day because I buy, clean, process, fry and sell every day.”

She started the business with about N3, 500 but today the business has been so lucrative that she has been able to take care of the family’s needs and those of dependents just from selling this tasty snack. She says she started buying a bag of freshly harvested fara for N1, 500 per bag. But presently the bag costs N18, 000.

Asked why the drastically high price, Elizabath explains, “The reason the price is very high is because of the Boko Haram problem we have in the state and we all know that these people are mostly in the bush. Most of the places where the grasshopper is located and trapped have been burnt because what they normally eat is leaves.”

Speaking about Boko Haram, it would be interesting to note that Elizabeth and her family left Maiduguri at the peak of the Boko Haram crisis to Abuja.

Interestingly, they had to return because they had nothing to do in Abuja and life wasn’t easy there. “We even travelled with my people to Abuja. When we got there, we didn’t have people to help us or give us something to do or a startup for any business, so I and my family had to come back to Maiduguri. I had no other thing to do than to go back to my fara business. My husband used to work at an electronics shop before we decided to go to Abuja. He didn’t get his job back when we returned. So as of now, we’re just managing whatever we can get from the fara business which I am glad is successful. We make at least 30 percent gain from this business. Big people come to me to book my fara even before I start frying. I have made a lot of wealthy friends from selling fara in this community.”

She went on to say she has made a lot of customers outside Maiduguri, “A lot of people who come here just to visit have collected my number and contacted me to supply fried fara to them in their various states outside Borno, especially for weddings and occasions. On some occasions I have been taken to other states to prepare them for guests of weddings.”

Abdullahi Bello, a banker, never lets a day pass without him stopping over to have his dose of fara on his way home. “Fara is nothing new to me. Though I was not brought up in Maiduguri but anytime we came on holidays with my parents to Maiduguri, fara was something I looked forward to eating. Since my university days till date a day without fara is like torture to me. And I must say this lady here makes the best fara in Maiduguri.  I have introduced a lot of my friends especially from the eastern and western parts of the country to this delicious snack.

Grasshoppers are a said to be a delicacy and have been consumed for decades by various tribes around the world. The insects are prepared using various recipes and can be part of a meal or eaten as a snack. Whichever way you eat it, you decide to enjoy it, you are sure to give your taste buds a treat. Consumption of edible insects is being promoted around the world with scientists saying they can be a nutritious and environmentally friendly answer to food insecurity. They are a rich source of fat, protein, vitamins, fibre and minerals, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

One more look at David and its certain that he is a grasshopper connoisseur. “It’s a must-have delicacy, it’s one of my favorite foods,” said David, one of my journalist colleagues as he expertly whips off the legs of the fried grasshopper, tosses it in his mouth and crunches on it with a satisfied smile.

The large metal tray covered in crunchy fried grasshoppers and another set in hot oil on over a firewood fire have many buyers like myself and others eagerly waiting to have a bowl sold to us. Children who just closed from Islamic class were not left out: the lot gathered round the table to have N50 portions sold to them. Yes, fried grasshopper is that affordable and the prices ranges from N50 to N2500 for a big bowl of it.

As soon as I got mine, the tradition is to dip them in hot chili spice if it wasn’t sprinkled on them. I took one dipped in hot chili spice and threw it in my mouth. I confess: deep-fried grasshopper is tasty and crunchy. Really crunchy and I can tell I’m hooked on this unique and protein- filled snack for a long time to come.