Dessert Topped with "Water Cockroach" Sparks Controversy: "It's Medicinal in China"

Egg tart topped with fried diving beetle draws attention
Considered medicinal in traditional Chinese medicine

A specialty egg tart shop in China has drawn attention for selling a food topped with "fried insects." Some insects are reportedly used for medicinal purposes in China.

According to a report on Oct. 28, local time, by Hong Kong media outlet the South China Morning Post (SCMP), a restaurant in Shunde, Guangdong Province, China, recently introduced a new product called the "water beetle egg tart." A set of three egg tarts costs 28 yuan (about 5,500 won).

A "water cockroach egg tart" made at a dessert shop in China. It drew attention for its unusual appearance, topped with fried diving beetles. Screenshot from SCMP.

Photos released by the restaurant show tarts that look much like ordinary egg tarts, with one key difference: a large piece of "fried insect" sits on top. The startling dessert spread across local social media, attracting widespread attention.

The restaurant's owner, Mr. Pan, clarified that despite the menu's use of the term "water cockroach," the fried insect is not actually a cockroach. He emphasized that it is a diving beetle, an edible insect that is also used as a medicinal ingredient.

In fact, some insects in the order Coleoptera, including diving beetles, are classified as edible insects. Diving beetles have traditionally been used for medicinal purposes in East Asia, and this tradition is reportedly still practiced in China. According to the report, Chinese herbal medicine holds that diving beetles help improve blood circulation and benefit skin health, though these effects have not been scientifically verified.

Mr. Pan said he developed a complex series of cooking steps to perfect the dish. He introduced a special cooking method to remove the insect's distinctive odor and carefully controlled the temperature to bring out a crispy texture. He also left the wings intact to preserve the diving beetle's original appearance.

So what does a water beetle egg tart taste like? One customer who said they had visited Mr. Pan's restaurant and tried the tart described it as like eating a sweet egg tart topped with salty, crispy potato chips. In other words, the diving beetle tasted salty.

Mr. Pan said customers come from Guangzhou, Hong Kong and elsewhere to try the water beetle egg tarts. The restaurant sells about 20 sets, or 60 tarts, a day.

Not all consumers have reacted positively, however. Online critics said the insects' appearance made the tarts difficult to eat, and one user asked, "If it makes you uncomfortable just to look at it, how could you put it in your mouth?" Others pushed back, saying, "Diving beetles are actually used in traditional dietary remedies," and that "they live in clean water, are scarce, and are expensive medicinal ingredients."

Despite the controversy, Mr. Pan said he plans to continue selling the water beetle egg tarts and will keep introducing desserts made with traditional Chinese medicinal ingredients.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.