Chinese Restaurant Sparks Buzz With Egg Tarts Topped With 'Giant Cockroaches'

A restaurant in southern China sparked controversy after serving a bizarre new dessert. According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the restaurant served classic Cantonese egg tarts topped with large, fried insects that look just like gigantic cockroaches.

According to the report, the eatery, located in Shunde, introduced the unusual dish under the name "water roach egg tarts". The restaurant sells a set of three tarts for 28 yuan (around $4 USD). Each pastry features a shiny insect resting right on top of the custard filling.

Despite their terrifying appearance, the insects are actually water beetles, a local delicacy in parts of Guangdong, a province famous for its rich food culture.

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In traditional Chinese culture and medicine, these beetles are commonly fried up for a crunchy snack and often used in traditional medicine.

These insects are believed to nourish the skin and kidneys, improve blood circulation, help resolve blood stasis, and strengthen muscles and bones.

The report mentions that these pastries combine sweet and savoury flavours, with a topping like "a layer of crispy potato crisp on top of an egg tart".

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Photos and videos of the creepy-crawly pastries quickly went viral on Chinese social media, with many people sharing their reactions.

"I can't even stand looking at it, let alone eating it," one user commented, as quoted by the report.

"Water roaches are still roaches. I'll never accept them as food," another user said.

"I've never tried them, but I know water roaches are used in Chinese food therapy. They also need very clean water to breed, and are becoming increasingly rare and expensive," a third commenter wrote online.