It’s no longer garlic: Tito Mboweni teased for using too much tomato in his mopane worm dish

I’m one of those people who shiver at the thought of eating a worm, but others would argue that a well-cooked mopane worm is a treat for the taste buds.

Part of traditional African cuisine, mopane worms should first be rehydrated, experts say. All you do is cook the worms in water for 10-20 minutes. After rehydration, you fry them in a pan with oil, spices and vegetables.

This week Finance Minister Tito Mboweni cooked a mopane worm dish but Twitter users were not impressed. This time around the criticism was not about the excess garlic he puts in his dishes, but the amount of tomato he used, that they were not finely chopped and that he served the dish with rice.

Mboweni shared the ingredients he used to make the dish: mopane worms, garlic, four tomatoes, green and red peppers and onion, which he chopped in small pieces –except for the tomatoes.

As per popular vote, the amount of garlic has been reduced! Now here we go! This won’t be long. But I have to soak the masonja in boiling water first. Done in two hours’ time. Later! pic.twitter.com/f91WYPSDBG
— Tito Mboweni (@tito_mboweni) September 21, 2020

In the second step, he sautés the vegetables in a pan while cooking the mopane worms in another pan.

Getting there. Step by step! pic.twitter.com/6s8zA6qQ7T
— Tito Mboweni (@tito_mboweni) September 21, 2020

The third step shows the mopane worms cooked and ready to be mixed with the vegetables.

Just about done!! pic.twitter.com/E6KVNnjF9s
— Tito Mboweni (@tito_mboweni) September 21, 2020

Step four shows the final product.

Mboweni's dinner is ready, served with rice and a glass of red wine, and water.

Twitter users once again had a field day with the minister's cooking skills.

Here are some of the reactions.

Haaii minister... Final product should look like this... A lil bit appetizing pic.twitter.com/hPUyfysRWt
— Joel Mokoatlo (@MJMOKOATLO) September 21, 2020