A big fat, juicy worm that's said to be full of meat. Although traditionally dried or smoked, they are usually rehydrated and cooked with tomato or chili sauce for flavor. According to an American couple who tried the dish on the Food Network, it tastes like barbecued chicken with honey. It's not such a bad taste when you consider that you're eating worms, it might be well worth a try.
Mopane worms are hand-picked in the wild, often by women and children. In the bush, the caterpillars are not considered to belong to the landowner, but around a house, permission should be sought from the resident. Chavanduka describes women in Zimbabwe tying a piece of bark from particular trees in order to establish ownership. When the caterpillar has been picked, it is pinched at the tail. The picker then squeezes it like a tube of toothpaste and whips it to expel the slimy, green contents of its gut.