If someone were to tell you that, instead of spicy chilies and tangy tomatoes, crawling red ants would be served with your meal today, it might send shivers down your spine. However, in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh, the mere mention of this name makes people’s mouths water.
We are talking about Bastar’s world-renowned ‘Chapda Chutney.’ It offers a unique flavor—one so distinct that people travel from across the seven seas, drawn specifically to the tribal markets and fairs of Bastar just to taste it.
Let us discover how these red ants make their journey from the branches of Sal and Mahua trees all the way to the human dining plate, and explore the fascinating science that lies behind this culinary marvel. In the local tribal dialect, ‘Halbi,’ the word ‘Chapda’ is a compound formed from two terms: ‘Chapa’—meaning a nest constructed from plant leaves—and ‘Da’—referring to the red ants that inhabit the interior of these leafy nests.
These are no ordinary ants; they are known as ‘Weaver Ants.’ Deep within the dense forests of Bastar, these ants construct incredibly sturdy, football-sized nests by binding together the leaves of tall Sal (Sakhua), Mahua, and Mango trees using a web-like secretion from their saliva.
**Harvesting Them Is a Risky Endeavor**
Harvesting these ants from the trees is certainly no child’s play. These ants are highly aggressive, and their bites inflict a sharp, burning sensation. With great skill, the villagers of Bastar use long bamboo poles to dislodge these nests, collecting the ants—along with their white eggs—into a basket. During this process, they rub ash over their bodies to minimize the number of ant bites they sustain.
