Only the queen ants are collected, as the other ants within a colony are not considered edible. The legs and wings are removed, at which point the ants are soaked in salty water, before being roasted in ceramic pans.
Exclusively queen ants are harvested since the other ants within a colony are deemed unfit for consumption. Following removal of their limbs and wings, the ants are immersed in saline solution prior to being cooked in ceramic containers.