Fancy a cockroach-looking topping? China restaurant serves beetle-covered egg tarts

A Chinese restaurant is now serving egg tarts topped with crispy diving beetles. The creation has attracted curious diners while unsettling many social media users.China restaurant serves beetle-topped egg tarts that look like giant cockroaches (Photo: Representational Image from Pexels)A restaurant in China's Shunde has come up with a rather unusual twist on the humble egg tart, topping the popular dessert with crispy water beetles that bear an uncanny resemblance to giant cockroaches.The unusual creation, called the “water roach egg tart”, was introduced in early October and has since attracted attention on Chinese social media.According to a report by the South China Morning Post, the dessert was priced at 28 yuan (around US$4) for a set of three, with each tart featuring a whole insect perched on top.Shunde, in Guangdong province, is known for its Cantonese cuisine and has been recognised by UNESCO as a Creative City of Gastronomy. But this latest culinary experiment has left many people online rather unconvinced. Restaurant owner Pan clarified that the insects used in the dessert were not cockroaches, despite the name, but diving beetles. He said they were edible and had nutritional and medicinal properties. The beetles were also used in traditional Chinese medicine, where they were believed to benefit the skin and kidneys, improve blood circulation and help strengthen muscles and bones.Pan explained that preparing the tarts involved several careful steps. The beetles were first deodorised before being fried at a controlled temperature until they turned crispy. Their wings were deliberately left intact to add to the flavour and appearance. The finished dessert offered a mix of sweet and savoury flavours, with one description comparing the crunchy topping to a layer of potato crisps placed over an egg tart.Despite the unusual ingredient, the dish had found its share of curious customers. Pan told the South China Morning Post that some people travelled from Guangzhou and Hong Kong to sample it, with the restaurant selling around 20 sets each day.Online reactions, however, were far from enthusiastic. Several users admitted they could not bear the sight of the insect, let alone imagine eating it. Others argued that calling them water roaches would not make the creatures any more appetising.One user pointed out that the beetles were used in Chinese food therapy and required clean water to breed, adding that they had become increasingly rare and expensive.Pan, meanwhile, appeared unfazed by the criticism. He said he planned to keep the dish on the menu and continue experimenting with innovative food offerings that incorporated dietary therapy benefits.The choice of ingredient also played into Guangdong's reputation for its large flying cockroaches, which often became the subject of jokes among people from other parts of China. The South China Morning Post noted, however, that water beetles and cockroaches were different insects.Interestingly, some cockroach species, including the American cockroach, were also used in traditional Chinese medicine. They were believed to help with blood circulation and detoxification. Kangfuxin Liquid, a proprietary Chinese medicine used to treat stomach and mouth ulcers, is one such product made using American cockroaches.- Ends