Hormigas culonas
Salt-toasted queen ant abdomens
Think of it as: Like a bag of salted peanuts, except they have legs (well, had)
Ant butts. Snack like popcorn, apparently.
What does it taste like?
Salty, nutty and toasty.
SweetSpicySourSaltyFunkSmellTextureCrunchy
What is it?
The big abdomens of queen leafcutter ants, toasted with salt. The name means "big-bottomed ants," and they're a specialty of Santander. They can only be collected at a set time during the rainy season.Source: Wikipedia
How locals eat it
Nibbled as a snack or ground into a sauce. Also sold as a souvenir.
Watch it
EnglishTap to play (YouTube)Where is it from?
🇨🇴Colombia
CapitalBogotá
Populationabout 53.7 millionestimate (unverified)
IndustriesOil, Coffee, Cut flowers, Coal
Famous peopleGabriel García MárquezNobel Prize-winning author of One Hundred Years of Solitude
HelloHola (Spanish)
CurrencyPeso
And JapanMany of the carnations sold in Japan come from Colombia.
Fun factThe country with the most bird species in the world.
The flag🇨🇴 Yellow is the rich resources, blue is the sea, and red is the blood of independence.
From Tokyoabout 14,310 kmstraight line, Tokyo to Bogotá
Getting thereabout 20 hours from Tokyo (with transfers)rough guide
✈ Check cheap flights Best timeDecember to March, when there's less rain, is best. Also tryBandeja paisaAjiacoEmpanadas More from here🥛 Changua
✈ Check cheap flights Best timeDecember to March, when there's less rain, is best. Also tryBandeja paisaAjiacoEmpanadas More from here🥛 Changua
🇨🇴 Sounds & life in Colombia
HolaHello（Hola (Spanish)）
Latin alphabet
Latin alphabet
Right now…
Anthem"National Anthem of Colombia" (¡Oh, gloria inmarcesible!)
MusicVallenato Cheerful songs led by the accordion
SportSoccer
James Rodríguez (soccer; top scorer at the 2014 World Cup) World HeritagePort, Fortresses and Group of Monuments, Cartagena and more National animalAndean condor National flowerCattleya FestivalBarranquilla Carnival (February-March)
MusicVallenato Cheerful songs led by the accordion
SportSoccer
James Rodríguez (soccer; top scorer at the 2014 World Cup) World HeritagePort, Fortresses and Group of Monuments, Cartagena and more National animalAndean condor National flowerCattleya FestivalBarranquilla Carnival (February-March)
Ingredients
- Queen ants (hormigas culonas) 200 g
- Salt 1 tsp
- Water, a little
- Clay pot or griddle 1
How to make it (one way)
- Collect the queen ants as they leave the nest in the rainy season (around April-May)
- Remove the wings, legs and heads
- Rinse quickly in salt water
- Toast on a griddle or in a clay pot until crisp
- Cool and pack into bags for sale
⚠️ Catching and eating wild ants yourself is dangerous.