Termites are most widely used as food in Africa. The wings are broken off and discarded and, the rest of the body is fried. The much larger queens are considered a treat and are often saved for children or grandparents.

Termites belong to the order Isoptera. They are eusocial insects with colonies divided into “castes” that include workers, soldiers, winged adults and a queen.

Colonies of some termite species build huge earth mounds, called termitaria, which may be up to 20 feet high!