Farms in Kasese district, the area plant protection officer said today, are being destroyed thanks to an infestation of army worms. 

 

The army worms, larvae of the large moths, are ravaging gardens of millet, wheat, rice and maize in the areas of Maliba, Mubuku and Kasese Town Council.  The district is dealing with the problem as best it knows how – educating the farmers and spraying the crops.

 

However considering the rise in food prices, the long term impact of pesticides and the cost of hiring people to deal with the worm problem, perhaps the Kasese district authorities need to rethink their strategy.  From the Wonderful World of the Web are two alternatives: Army Worm Wine and Army Worm Bread.

 

Army Worm Bread (source: Wild Recipies.com)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup shortening

3/4 cup sugar

2 bananas, mashed

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped nuts

2 eggs

1/4 cup dry-roasted army worms

Mix together all ingredients. Bake in greased loaf pan at 350 for about 1 hour.

 

 

Army Worm Wine (source: Army Worm Wine.com)

This is the creation of worm wine connoisseur, Ray Reigstad.

Ingredients:

1.5 pounds (0.7kg) Army Worms

1 gallon (3.8L) water

1.5 pounds (0.7 kg) sugar

1 crushed campden tablet

5 drops pectic enzyme

1 package yeast (Ray uses Champagne yeast)

.5 teaspoon yeast energizer

.5 teaspoon of acid blend

 

Put worms in primary bucket.

Pour the boiling water over them.

Add sugar, mix, and let cool.

In order not to neutralize chemicals, once the mixture is warm, add the rest of the ingredients and cover for seven days.

Stir occasionally.

 

After one week, strain off the Army Worms and discard them. Place liquid (should be greenish-yellow) in carboy or one-gallon jug. Attach airlock and let stand. This is secondary fermentation and should bubble for three weeks.Rack the wine again and let stand for another two months. Rack as needed and the wine is done in five to six months. It tastes best in about one year.

 

According to the reviews on Reigstad’s page, four local wine connoisseurs invited to taste the wine described it as dry, pale and crisp. They compared it to a pinot grigio or white bordeaux.

 

 

In case white bordeaux with a hint of worm isn’t to your liking, why not look for something stronger?  From the same friends in the Far East who brought us Snake Wine (thank you again Comrade Blackman – found anything interesting in the Horn?) comes Three Penis Wine, Multi Penis Wine and Deer Antler Wine.

 

Attempt a sip of these wines carefully!  Apparently they must not be served to pregnant women and young adult males because they have too much “yang” and may be too potent for them.

 

The basic ingredients may be hard to get, depending on what part of the world you live in – pure grains, deerhorn blood, deer penis, bull penis, dog penis, lyceum, ginseng, matrimony vine, schisandra fruit and barrenwort.

 

Deer pilose antler wine reportedly invigorates the gumption, increases immunity fuctions and vital resistance and promotes metabolism.

 

Three Penis Wine is a tonic to the kidney, promotes energy and treats rheumatism and arthritis and is ‘effective for men.’

 

 Thokoleza ukudla everybody!