Teach English as a Foreign Language: They Eat ANTS in Colombia!

They Eat Ants in Colombia!
Not only are the fruits and vegetables different in Colombia, but other foods as well. They eat ants here. Yeah, you read it right – ants. But not the ones you slap away from your picnic vittles, these are specially-raised “Hormigas Culonas” which have an enlarged abdomen. They’re cleaned, then roasted or fried and served with a wedge of cheese or a small container of honey. Only the crunchy abdomen is dipped in honey then bitten off and eaten. They’re sort of like partially popped kernels of popcorn. (Hey, don’t knock it unless you’ve tried it.) To be honest, I had the “willies” my first time too. Now I’m an “old hand” who buys’em by the bag when they’re on sale in the spring.

P.S. As a matter of fact, while I was in the Colombian capitol, Bogota this past holiday weekend, I bought a small package of Hormigas Culonas to bring back to Cali for some friends to try. And by the way, I know that they eat ants in parts of Mexico, too.

Bountiful Colombia
When teaching English as a foreign language abroad, one of the great benefits can be the instant exposure to all manner of unique and delicious new foods. This is especially true here in Colombia, where I teach English.

Nature yields, in full, her bounty and beauty all year long in the deep valleys, fertile grasslands, tropical rain forests and rolling plains shadowed by 3000 foot plus range of Andes peaks that divide Colombia lengthwise into thirds. Hundreds of varieties of flowers unfurl into bloom, perfuming the air even in winter, although winter in this northwestern corner of the South American continent is a subjective term. Hummingbirds and multi-colored finches dot even the urban scenery in such numbers that you’ll undoubtedly think, “Surely there’s a machine around the corner manufacturing them.” The fauna is impressive, but the quantities of new and unusual tropical fruits are astounding.

We’ll continue with additional taste treats found in Colombia, one of the world’s most exotic and notorious countries, in upcoming article posts. Why don’t you make a point to put aside a few of your old prejudices and foibles and try a new taste or two where you live and teach now? Who knows, you just might be in for a not-so-unpleasant surprise. Surely, where you are now, they must eat something “a bit different” that what you were used to “back home”, right?

Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, author and speaker. He has written ESP, foreign language learning, English language teaching texts and hundreds of articles used in more than 80 countries. Get your FREE E-books,"If you Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know" by requesting the title at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com Need a blogger or copywriter to promote your school, institution, service or business or an experienced writer and vibrant SEO content for your website, blog or newsletter? Then E-mail me for further information.