A Little Bit Of Red Ant Chutney To add Zing To The Diet

Indian food items are famous for their rich flavors, delightful sweetness, and mouth-watering taste. We follow diverse food habits, which is a combination of our vast culture and custom. Apart from our regular food items, some tribal communities prepare and consume several bizarre food items, which will leave you surprised. Red ant chutney is such an unusual delicacy that is common among specific tribal communities in India.

The Iconic Red Ant Chutney . Source : Times knowledge.in

The red-ant chutney!

How many of you have tasted it?

Red ants, scientifically called Oecophylla smaragdina, are the most essential ingredient in a tribal food item. Can you believe this?

But, it is true that among some tribal diets, the chutney made of red ants is a popular delicacy and an inevitable part of their food culture.

India, famous for its vast and diverse culture, always goes to extremes regarding its food habits.

Known as ‘chaprah’ or ‘chapda’ in Chhattisgarh and ‘kai chutney’ in Odisha, the delicacy made of weaver ants, aka red ants, is the most celebrated superfood among the tribal communities of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand. Red ants, commonly known as weaver ants, make large, irregularly shaped nests with leaves. Their sturdy nests are in elliptical shapes. It can withstand strong winds and floods. The red ants are abundant in forests and live in colonies consisting of multiple nests.

Collecting their nests and transferring the contents, including ant - eggs, into a cloth, the tribal people smash them into a pulp and add tomatoes, garlic, coriander, turmeric, salt, and chilli to spice up the taste of the chutney. This smooth paste is consumed with boiled hot rice.

Red ants can inflict painful stings on human skin. People in tribal communities of these places endure the stinging sensations to make the most strange and scrumptious food item in the form of a chutney. This unique practice may sound like something that stays off the beaten path for ordinary people. Still, this spicy, exotic-flavored delicacy is famous among the tribal communities as it is packed with protein and many other nutrients with curative properties. The red ant chutney encompasses the ants' eggs containing formic acid, zinc, and calcium and acts as an antibacterial shield to combat stomach-related issues and boost the immune system.

Moreover, such curative values of this superfood help maintain the body toxin-free and keep cholesterol complications at bay. This Chutney is a medicine among tribal people suffering from joint pain, poor eyesight, jaundice, cough, and the common cold. Research reveals that some components in Aspirin, an allopathic tablet, are derived from red ants.

This unrivaled Indian tribal delicacy is set to travel continents after the visit of foreign celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. Ramsay’s visit to India was related to a documentary on Indian foods. During his visit to the tribal localities of India, he tasted this cuisine with the local mahua alcoholic beverage and just loved it. He said that he thoroughly enjoyed the taste. This was how the red ant chutney, which is deemed healthy and nutritious, was directly hooked to Ramsay’s food menu. He called it the world’s best chutney he had ever tried!

As per the recent news reports, Odisha has proposed this superfood ( known as Kai chutney in Odisha) for the Geographical Identification tag, aka GI tag. With the GI tag, the Red ant chutney will be the main part of many international food tables serving famous exotic dishes. Researchers forecast the possibility of the red ant chutney to be a better living option if the tribal communities are ready to sell it. The researchers have created a presentation and letter addressing the Ministry of Ayush for the recognition of this chutney.