I oftentimes forget to look up during my afternoon walks around the farm, concentrating on where my feet fall, not stepping in puddles or on snakes, heaven forbid! Don’t worry, I have only come across one snake during all my walks here in CAR in 20 years. That time I was walking with my buddy, Jan, and if my memory serves me correctly, I didn’t even see it until she told me I had stepped over it!
All along the roads at the CEFA farm, Roy has planted different flowers and trees, and I as I rounded the corner onto the Terminalia tree lined road this afternoon, I ran into a group of kids, harvesting caterpillars to eat. The critters are camouflaged beautifully, so I doubt I would have noticed them even if I had been admiring the lovely layered look of the tree had not the children been there. These kids are pretty happy about what they spied, I think they know when the caterpillar season is and probably even know that certain trees are the place to look. They collected enough to feed their family well tonight. Hey, protein is protein, right? Imagine these in sauce, with a sticky ball of boiled manioc to eat with them. Yum! I’ve never eaten this kind of caterpillar, but I have eaten another, much bigger type that you’ll find, in season, in the markets, in huge tin basins. If they’re still alive, the seller has to keep putting the escapees back in the bowl. They’re not bad, really a bit chewy, taste a bit like bacon if you really use your imagination.
