Dried · Market Delicacy
Ifinkubala (dried caterpillars)
📷 Closely related photo — Photo via Pexels/Unsplash — free for commercial use
Far from a novelty snack, these dried caterpillars are prized precisely because their protein content beats out beef and fish.
Ifinkubala are caterpillars harvested from mopane and other trees, then cleaned, boiled, and sun-dried before being sold loose by the cup in markets. Cooks fry or rehydrate them and typically serve them with tomato and onion alongside nshima.
Why it's made this way: Originating largely among the Bemba people of northern Zambia, harvesting seasonal caterpillars turned an abundant wild resource into an important source of protein and market income during the harvest season.
Roughly what's in it
170kcal
25gprotein
3gcarbs
7gfat
Estimated per typical street-vendor portion — not lab-tested.
More from Zambia
Part of World of Street Food — 690 dishes from 118 countries.
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