When Anthony Bourdain Ate Africa’s Original Protein Bar – Mopane Worms, Kudu & the Eternal Hustle
When Anthony Bourdain Ate Africa’s Original Protein Bar
Mopane Worms, Kudu & the Eternal Hustle
A thousand years ago a San boy learned trigonometry to put a tiny arrow in a dassie.
In 2013 Anthony Bourdain learned the same lesson — with his teeth — on national television.
Same protein. Same hustle. Different century.
The Dishes He Couldn’t Un-See (or Un-Taste)
Mopane Worms – Africa’s Walking Peanut
Protein: 50–60 g per 100 g (higher than beef)
Harvested by grandmothers who still read the mopane leaves like stock-market charts.
Bourdain’s verdict: “Gritty, corny sawdust… but I get it.”
Kudu Antelope – The Original Free-Range Steak
Leaner than chicken breast, richer than venison.
The same animal San hunters have been calculating parabolic arcs for since 20,000 B.C.
Chakalaka – The Relish That Started a Revolution
Born in the townships when miners needed flavour on a budget.
Same spirit: maximum taste, minimum money.
The Fried Mopane Worms Recipe Bourdain Braved (and You Can Too)
Crispy Fried Mopane Worms (Grandmother-Approved)
Yield: 4 brave souls | Time: 20 minutes | Difficulty: Easier than it looks
- 200 g dried mopane worms (available online or in any Zimbabwean/South African shop)
- Oil for deep frying
- 1 tsp salt + ½ tsp peri-peri or smoked paprika
- Soak worms in boiling water 10 min → plump little sausages.
- Drain, pat completely dry (this stops Mount Vesuvius in your pot).
- Heat oil to 180 °C / 350 °F.
- Fry 4–6 minutes until they hiss like angry cicadas and turn mahogany.
- Toss immediately with salt & peri-peri.
- Serve with cold beer and zero apologies.
Pro tip from Limpopo grandmothers: “If they still look like caterpillars, you didn’t fry them long enough.”
Why This Episode Still Matters in 2025
Bourdain didn’t just eat strange food.
He ate the original African side hustle:
→ Harvesting protein that walks to you twice a year
→ Turning drought into dinner
→ Outsmarting nature with nothing but timing and fire
The mopane worm didn’t change.
The kudu didn’t change.
The hunger to feed your people with whatever the land gives you?
That never changed either.
