by Bart Wursten
While roaming around the mountain plateau last month, we obviously were not alone. We regularly encountered whole families, including women and children. Our porters explained that they were looking for "magodo," a local delicacy. Whether we would agree is up for discussion.
Magodo is in fact a very large bug, up to 4 cm long, called the giant twig-wilter, or Petascelis remipes. The adults emerge around April and May in the grasslands on top of the mountain. The people come and burn small patches of grass to smoke out the insects and are able to catch considerable quantities for supper.
Before you all start running up the mountain to have our new chef try this out, please be aware that as a defense, these bugs are able to squirt a highly irritant secretion over quite a distance. It causes severe blisters and, when caught in the eyes, may have very unpleasant consequences. The magodo hunters are well aware of this and are very quick to catch and kill the bugs by breaking of the head and removing the glands containing the secretions. When they do this it releases a very strong almond-like smell.