What Are Nsenene? The Ugandan Grasshopper Delicacy Explained
Nsenene are seasonal Ugandan grasshoppers, cleaned and fried until crunchy and savoury, a prized rainy-season delicacy. Here is what they are and how they are made.
African Stores Editorial Team
The short answer
Nsenene, also called ensenene, are the long-horned grasshoppers that are gathered and eaten as a prized seasonal delicacy in Uganda, especially in the Buganda region. They arrive with the rains, mainly around November and April, and once the wings and legs are removed they are cooked, most often fried in their own natural oils with a little onion and seasoned simply with salt. The result is crunchy, savoury and rich in protein, sold in bars and roadside restaurants and cooked at home while they are in season. In the UK you can find African food shops that serve East African communities near you on African Stores.
What to remember
- Nsenene are long-horned grasshoppers, a prized seasonal delicacy in Uganda.
- They are also called ensenene and are especially loved in the Buganda region.
- They are gathered mainly in the rainy seasons around November and April.
- The wings and legs are removed, then they are fried in their own oils with onion and salt.
- They are crunchy, savoury and rich in protein, and are distinct from other edible insects such as termites.
Few foods mark the turning of the seasons in Uganda quite like nsenene. When the rains come and the grasshoppers arrive in their millions, there is a real sense of anticipation, a shared knowledge that a much loved delicacy is back for a short while. People stay up to gather them, kitchens fill with the smell of them frying, and bars and roadside restaurants put them out for everyone to enjoy while they last.
For Ugandans in Britain, nsenene carry that seasonal excitement across the miles. Edible insects are a normal, valued and celebrated part of the table at home, and grasshoppers most of all are something people genuinely look forward to. To taste that familiar crunch again is to be reminded of rainy evenings, of family and neighbours sharing a bowl, and of a treat that only comes around a couple of times a year.
What Nsenene Actually Are
Nsenene, also spelled ensenene, are long-horned grasshoppers that Ugandans gather and eat as a seasonal delicacy. They are not an everyday food but a treat that appears with the rains, mainly around November and April, and their arrival is genuinely looked forward to each year. They are especially prized in the Buganda region, where catching and cooking them is a familiar part of the season, and they hold a valued place in Ugandan food culture as one of its most celebrated snacks. You can read more about the wider cuisine in our guide to Ugandan food.
Edible insects are a normal and respected part of the diet across much of Uganda, and nsenene sit proudly among them. They are savoury, satisfying and rich in protein, and people buy them in bars and roadside restaurants as well as cooking them at home. When they are in season they are everywhere, and when the season passes they are missed until the rains bring them back again.
How Nsenene Differ From Other Edible Insects
It is worth being clear that nsenene are grasshoppers, and specifically the long-horned grasshopper, rather than a catch-all term for edible insects. In Uganda several insects are eaten and enjoyed, and each has its own name, season and way of cooking. Termites, for example, are a separate delicacy with their own following, distinct from grasshoppers in taste and timing.
So while nsenene belong to the wider and well established tradition of eating insects in Uganda, they are their own thing. When people speak of nsenene they mean the seasonal grasshopper, gathered during the rains and fried into that particular crunchy, savoury snack, rather than termites or any other insect.
How Nsenene Are Made and Served
Preparing nsenene begins after they are gathered, when the wings and the legs are removed so that only the tender body is left to cook. They are then cooked, most often fried in their own natural oils with a little onion, and seasoned simply with salt. Some cooks add carrot and a touch of pepper, but the treatment is deliberately light so the natural flavour comes through. The result is crunchy on the outside, savoury and rich, and very high in protein.
Nsenene are eaten as a snack in their own right, served in bars and roadside restaurants and shared at home while the season lasts. As with other edible insects, a gentle note is worth adding: people who have a shellfish or dust-mite allergy can sometimes react to edible insects, so anyone with those allergies may wish to be cautious. For most people, though, nsenene are simply a well loved seasonal delicacy to enjoy.
Where to Find Nsenene and African Food Shops in the UK
Nsenene are a seasonal food tied to Uganda's rains, so they are not something you can reliably prepare fresh from scratch in Britain. What you can do is seek out African food shops that serve East African and Ugandan communities, as these are the places most likely to stock East African foods and to know when seasonal specialities become available. Getting to know a good local shop is the surest way to keep in touch with the tastes of home. You can find African food stores near you to see what is nearby.
Frequently asked questions
What are nsenene?
Nsenene, also called ensenene, are long-horned grasshoppers eaten as a prized seasonal delicacy in Uganda, especially in the Buganda region. They are gathered mainly in the rainy seasons around November and April, then cooked, most often fried in their own natural oils with onion and seasoned with salt. They are crunchy, savoury and rich in protein.
What do nsenene taste like?
Nsenene are crunchy and savoury, with a rich flavour that comes through when they are fried in their own natural oils with a little onion and salt. The seasoning is kept simple, sometimes with carrot and a touch of pepper, so the natural taste is what stands out. They are satisfying and high in protein, which is part of why they are so valued.
How are nsenene different from termites?
Nsenene are grasshoppers, specifically the long-horned grasshopper, while termites are a separate edible insect with their own season and following. Both are enjoyed in Uganda as part of a well established tradition of eating insects, but they are distinct foods. When people say nsenene they mean the seasonal grasshopper, not termites or any other insect.
How are nsenene prepared?
The wings and legs are removed first, then the grasshoppers are cooked, most often fried in their own natural oils with a little onion and seasoned simply with salt. Some cooks add carrot and a touch of pepper. People who have a shellfish or dust-mite allergy can sometimes react to edible insects, so they may wish to be cautious.
Where can I buy nsenene in the UK?
Nsenene are a seasonal Ugandan delicacy, so the best approach in Britain is to seek out African food shops that serve East African and Ugandan communities, as they are most likely to stock East African foods and know when seasonal specialities are available. African Stores lists African and Caribbean food shops across the UK, so you can find one near you to ask what they carry.