DR Congo's insect cuisine: nutritious and delicious

In Kinshasa's Gambela market shoppers can find insects for every occasion -- from unctuous white weevil larvae for fancy dinners to crispy caterpillars and snacky termites that stick in your teeth. They may be an unbeatably cheap source of protein, but DR Congo's many insect connoisseurs insist they also have real gastronomic value. And the crowds pressing around the insect sellers at the market show that the Congolese can't get enough of them -- crushed, boiled or fried.

"The caterpillars and the other insects we eat are very rich in protein," said Maguy Manase, a seller at the market.

Caterpillars are sold living, dried or boiled up into a kind of porridge. Pyramids of them are piled up on old wooden stalls or on the ground in the huge market. Termites, however, are only sold alive, ladled fresh into customers' bags. There are grasshoppers too, when they are in season.

Prices vary wildly from one type of insect to the next. Elise Yawakana has treated herself to six fat larvae at 1,000 Congolese francs (around 80 euro cents or $1.10) each.

For the woman in her 60s, they were worth it for a "special menu or a luxury meal". A plastic cup full of caterpillars on the other hand will set you back only 1,500 francs (1.20 euro, $1.60).

Ninety percent of the DR Congo's population live on less than $1.25 a day, according to the United Nations.