Only in Africa do mosquitoes earn the right to be considered beneficial insects.
But before they can transform, an introverted, ordinary mosquito must first endure the eighteen layers of hell.
Simply using physical means to exterminate mosquitoes isn’t satisfying enough for the African brothers, who have developed unique extermination techniques. 
Countless mosquitoes are captured, crushed, and forcibly squeezed together. Under the roasting of charcoal fire, their proteins gradually transform into something that resembles food.
Skilled African brothers can turn 500,000 mosquitoes into a solid meat patty with a diameter of no more than 6 centimeters. Mosquitoes, though small, are still meat. Every day on the African continent, stories unfold of one species eliminating another.
And the African brothers’ solution to mosquito bites is straightforward: just eat them.
Mosquito meat patties are a specialty of East Africa, a decree from the kings of the African continent. Although the mosquitoes have undoubtedly gone through enough torture to be dead, diners always find themselves somewhere between life and death.
Cooking must be done outdoors, with open flames and smoke serving as humanity’s natural shield. Otherwise, before you finish your meal, a group of carnivorous animals might show up to watch, and you might not know who ends up eating whom.
Humans, in their own way, declare to other species who the real masters are here. With a slow simmer, mosquitoes turn from pests to beneficial insects in just 10 minutes.
The charred exterior explains what true devastation looks like. The sizzling melody echoes through the Rift Valley, a sound even the best b-box can’t replicate with such sensuality.
For Malawian men who have been working away from home for years, the happiest part of the day might be bringing home two bottles of beer and enjoying mosquito meat patties fried by their sister.
However, frying the patties requires extra caution, with constant flipping. Although you can’t tell from the color if the pan is burnt, the keen sense of smell of African chefs can detect whether an unlucky hyena, 20 kilometers away, has eaten something bad on a prosperous afternoon.
The taste of mosquito meat patties is very robust, like the hesitation one feels when eating peanut brittle in oil ice cream. Since mosquitoes feed on different species, the blood’s flavor also affects the taste, theoretically making each bite a different experience.
It carries the wildness of the highlands, the serenity of the valleys, the bashfulness above the wetlands, and the reckless exploration at the desert’s edge. In short, it’s Africa’s feast.
Thus, mosquito meat patties are also called “blood patties.” It’s said that mosquitoes that have bitten hyenas taste like day-old wet garbage, while those that have bitten lions are rumored to boost virility, a delicacy reserved for the chieftain. Most mosquito patties taste like dried beef jerky because most mosquitoes prefer to chase after grazing animals and occasionally bite children.
Malawi, an inland country in East Africa, has its transportation routes controlled by neighboring powerful nations. The Malawian people have created their own way of life.
Every July, diligent Malawians, young and old, begin a long hunting process.
They use iron buckets or basins, coating the inside with vegetable oil and syrup, then swing them in the air. In an instant, countless mosquitoes are trapped by the oil and honey.
Many believe that the mosquitoes in mosquito patties are all hand-caught, but if that were the case, the energy expended by Malawian hunters would not justify the title of “mosquito catchers.”
A robust Malawian man can catch over 10 million mosquitoes in a single evening. For them, these annoying creatures seem like a gift of organic food from the heavens, the more you work, the more you eat, a blessing from the heavens.
The best way to cook mosquitoes is to fry them in oil. Wealthier Malawian families might also try soaking the patties in honey to store surplus food. After soaking in honey and then drying, they can be preserved for over ten years. Since mosquitoes disappear after November each year, July to November is the golden hunting season.
At this time, some tribes in Malawi hunt mosquitoes in a way that aims to eradicate the species, then store their catch for the winter, eagerly awaiting the first rain of spring.
Although mosquito meat patties can alleviate homesickness through taste, few dare to try them. The cautiousness of foreign tourists contrasts sharply with the exuberance of East African people.
Due to the limited number of mosquitoes each year, Malawians also hunt a pitiful insect called “midge,” which shares the same blood-sucking habit, making it a reasonable food source.
It’s said that Malawi did not always have such strange food customs. Malawi is one of the poorest 8 countries in the world, with a GDP per capita of only $381.
Lake Malawi, the namesake of the country, is an important source of food for its people. Before and after the rainy season each summer, mosquitoes thrive and multiply, causing great distress for Malawi. If you accidentally fall by the lake, it’s like donating blood to nature.
“Since mosquitoes can eat people, people can also eat mosquitoes.”
Malawians’ method of revenge is somewhat brutal. Initially, they adopted the British way of cooking, frying fish and chips, but it was too oil-consuming, so they switched to frying steaks.
The oil used is also unique. Malawi has mosquitoes that feed on the tender stems of castor plants, which can be used to extract oil. Frying mosquito patties with mosquito oil is quite intoxicating.
Malawi’s unique culinary method once spread to Pakistan. A Pakistani named Khan visited Malawi, learned the secret technique of catching mosquitoes, and started a business on the streets back home.
Due to the lower mosquito yield in Pakistan, after catching them, they add beef scraps and flour, mix and stir, then fry in a flat-bottomed oil pan.
The limited ingredients also restrict the shape of the Pakistani mosquito meat patties; they can’t be as unlimited as in Malawi, becoming what is known as Pakistani mosquito sticks.
The first Malawian warrior to awaken deserves praise. They fundamentally solved the protein source problem for Malawians, never complaining, but directly seeking answers from the heavens.
To this day, mosquitoes in Malawi might not dare to run rampant anymore, and Malawians seem to have become the grave diggers of vampires.
