The culona ants They are queens that leave their nests in order to form new colonies in the rainy season, a time that collectors take advantage of to catch them. It is usually an expensive product, since they only come out at that time of the year and its collection is laborious and entails several difficulties. In Colombia it is a very appreciated dish, they are prepared in various ways and are generally eaten at lunch or other meals, as a starter or as a snack. Sauces are also prepared with them.
The preparations of culona ants It is typical of the Colombian Andes, they are seen more in the regions of Santander, San Gil, Barihara. During the harvest season, its commercialization reaches Bucaramanga and Bogotá, where they are frequently seen. Aphrodisiac properties are attributed to it, therefore, they are usually given as gifts to the bride and groom at weddings.
History of the preparation of culonas ants
The big ass ants o Atta laevigata, are prepared and eaten in Colombia, especially in the Santander region, since the time when the Guanes lived there, the way to capture the ants, what time of year they come out and the how to prepare and consume them.
The preparation of the culonas ants was simple since pre-Columbian times. Once captured, the head, legs and wings are detached. They are washed well and roasted in a clay or iron bowl, sprinkling salt to consume them.
From generation to generation the information has been passed on when it is very likely that the culonas will come out to mate and then bury themselves and make a new anthill. The collectors say that after a rainy day they see some "termites" fly at night and the next day, usually sunny, the culonas come out of their nests. The collectors get ready with their boots and other necessary implements for the collection and very early in the morning they go to the anthill.
When they arrive at the anthill, they observe if the workers and the bigheads or drones are at the mouth of the anthill, which are the males that are there waiting for the future queens to emerge. This part already indicates to the collectors that they are on the right day, it is a matter of waiting patiently for the future queens to take their time and come to the surface.
When they leave, they choose the male and it is the moment that the collectors take advantage of to catch them, grabbing them by the wings. After choosing the male, they take flight and can no longer be caught. Those that are not caught after mating bury themselves in the ground and form a new colony.
They are also called chicatanas which degenerated from tzicatanah of the Nahuatl language. They are tree leaf-cutter ants, which they take to their nests to feed a fungus from which they feed and feed their young.
Big ass ants recipe
Ingredients
Half a kg of culonas ants
Water
Sal Island
Butter
Preparation
Remove the wings, head and tail of each of the ants.
Wash them well, let them rest in a container with water and salt.
Put butter in a clay pot and heat.
Strain the ants and cook, toasting and stirring until they are crispy, which will indicate that they are ready.
Serve and add a little salt.
This dish is used as a starter.
Tips to make delicious big ass ants
- Eating big-assed ants can prevent many diseases due to their high antioxidant value.
- The culona ants It is an excellent dish of high nutritional value. Research carried out at the Industrial University of Santander in Colombia has shown that big-assed ants contain a high level of protein and are low in saturated fat. They are also attributed antibacterial, analgesic and aphrodisiac properties. They are also claimed to help relieve rheumatoid arthritis.
- Another way used by Colombians to prepare the big ass ants consists of preparing them with dark cola soda. To do this, they clean the culonas very well, remove their wings, legs and head and then soak them for about 20 minutes in salt water. Then, in a pot, cook them in a little salted water for about 5 minutes and when the water dries up, add cola soda and let it dry, then repeat the procedure, soaking them again with soda, and continue until the ants are crispy. This last procedure can be done in the oven, previously hot.
Did you know….?
- It seems to be, according to the impression of the collectors, that the better winter, the greater the number of queen ants that leave their nests. Also the way to catch the ants by the collectors is to grab each ant by its wings to avoid being stung. When they finish collecting them, they wash them in salt water where the ones that are still alive die, then they drain and dry in the sun.
- Currently, more and more studies are being generated on the nutritional level provided by the consumption of insects, anticipating the global overpopulation that does not seem to be so far away. With their consumption, in addition to obtaining important nutritional levels for the body, it will be possible to save agricultural resources and significantly avoid the ecological impact produced as a result of raising the animals that we consume worldwide.
- The leafcutter ants called culonas build very large colonies which can have up to 10 million ants, their huge nests can reach up to 9 meters deep. Every winter the queen culona ants that survive their collection each form a new anthill.
- In Santander they pay homage to the big-assed ants with statues such as the row of ants that can be seen on the Bucaramanga highway, a huge ant in the fountains park and another located in the center of the city.
- In each colony culona ants there is a social organization where each member of the colony fulfills a specific activity, which contributes to the functioning of the colony. There the queen ants take care of their incessant reproduction and are even fed by the workers and their young are also taken to the breeding chambers where they are fed by the workers.
The workers are in charge of collecting the leaves and taking them to the chamber where the fungus that they feed with them grows. In this chamber there is also work for the workers because they must keep it in good condition. With the fungus the workers feed the young and all the members of the anthill are fed.
