UmmyDoll: Tanzanian singer open up on why she dey chop cockroach

Di tori of popular Tanzanian singer and model Saumu Hamisi' wey like to chop nutritious cockroaches bin go viral last month.

Saumu Hamisi, better known as Ummy Doll, na 20-year-old girl from Tanzania, wey dey live for di coastal region of Kigamboni Dar es Salaam.

She tell BBC Swahili say di insects dey taste like fish or white meat - and say she dey add coconut oil to roast, kebab or fry dem.

Ummy Doll na singer and entrepreneur wey dey do business of raising and selling cockroach.

"Sake of my young age, wen pipo see me dey chop cockroach dem dey wonder and even question my mental health" Ummy tok for interview wit BBC Swahili.

"I dey chop cockroach, na very important food for me because cockroach dey sweet.

"Some people think say I no dey sane but for me I take am as a business and so everything dey okay for me.

"As I be cockroach entrepreneur, I realise say I must chop am to convince my customers say dis na food like any other food, so I also eat to encourage another to eat cockroach and for dem to see am as just another food, " Ummy Doll tok am.

'You fit cook di cockroaches in different kain ways'

Ummy Doll say she dey cook di cockroach wit coconut oil sometimes wen she wan chop am.

"You fit chop am wit porridge, rice or even roasted bananas.

"Dem dey like any oda food, cockroach na just like any oda vegetables wey dem dey use eat normally.

"For me, I see di insect like fried fish or fried meat", she explain am.

Cockroach dey among di insects wey dey live for environment of mammals, and sake of di habitat wia dem dey live, pipo dey make sure say dem no dey for home environment and dem dey kill or spray dem insecticide.

Insect scientists don list cockroach as different species - and as Ummy describe di species of cockroach wey she dey breed, no be di ones wey dey live for polluted environment for human settlements.

Even as she be cockroach eater, she don warn pipo make dem no dey pick up cockroach for dia dirty environment,

"I take dis cockroaches from Morogoro from SUA Agricultural College, wia I took di seeds and start dey breed dem.

Dis cockroach dey very different from di domestic ones, dis type na Periplaneta americana (American cockroach) - Dem dey very different and dat na why we keep dem for hygienic environment, so we fit eat dem.

Even as she be entrepreneur, UmmyDoll na one of di most closely watched pipo for di entertainment industry especially in terms of elegance and singing.

Many of Ummy songs touch on issues of romantic relationships especially of her life and oda issues for society.

But she don gain popularity as fashionista wey love to dey chop cockroach.

One expert for Dar es Salaam Muhimbili National Hospital say cockroaches get a lot of nutritional value wen dem farm am in di right way.

"Cockroaches dey high in proteins, fat, vitamin B12 and zinc, wey go help wit building immunity," nutritionist Scolastica Mlinga tell BBC Swahili.