Mopani Worms

It's been over a month since I returned from South Africa and Botswana and I still bemoan my bad timing.

Those of you who know about my penchant for trying new and unusual foods, like live scorpions in Beijing, can imagine my chagrin when I arrived in Botswana a tad too early for Mopani worm season. In Botswana, they are often fried or even eaten as is, however, I became obsessed with finding at least a dried one. My travel companion, Tai, would roll her eyes every time I accosted a local, be they a taxi driver, working at one of the places we stayed, our safari guide in the bush, even strangers on the street. All my efforts were in vain. There simply aren't any worms hanging about once the season is over due to their popularity.

There is a South African couple who are fans of Toulouse Vineyards and are back and forth to South Africa. I met them recently and THEY promised to try to bring some back for me to try. Given that I had great difficulty with Customs, at every turn, traveling with a half case of wine, I wonder how Customs will feel about Mopani worms....