It was hailed as a fine-dining thrill, but a two-star Michelin restaurant in Seoul is now in hot water after its trendy sorbet—topped with ants imported from Thailand and the United States—triggered a food safety scandal.
South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has referred the owner of the high-end restaurant in Gangnam district to prosecutors for allegedly violating the Food Sanitation Act. The upscale spot, known for creative twists on Korean cuisine, had been serving a signature dessert garnished with dried ants—an ingredient not recognised as edible under Korean law.
“To use ants as food, businesses must obtain temporary approval for standards and specifications under food safety regulations,” a ministry official said. “We have shared the results of this investigation with the relevant local government and requested administrative action.”
According to The Korea Times, the restaurant sourced two types of ants from the United States and Thailand via express mail between April 2021 and November 2024. Local reports revealed that about 12,000 of the ant-topped dishes were sold by December last year, generating approximately 120 million Korean won (around 3.24 million baht) in revenue.
Many diners described the dish as “an upgraded experience,” praising its novelty. But under South Korean law, only certain insects—including silkworm pupae (beondegi), locusts, grasshoppers, and mealworms—are officially listed as food ingredients.
A violation of the Food Sanitation Act carries hefty consequences: a fine of up to 50 million Korean won or up to five years in prison. The restaurant owner claimed ignorance, telling reporters they had no idea ants weren’t legally approved for human consumption.
Insects are considered a sustainable delicacy in many countries. In Thailand, fried crickets, ant eggs, and grasshoppers are common street snacks, while Mexico’s famous chapulines (grasshoppers) and escamoles (ant larvae) are prized ingredients in traditional dishes.
This isn’t the first time South Korea has had to issue unusual food warnings. Last year, the food ministry posted an alert on X urging people to stop eating fried toothpicks made from sweet potato and corn starch.
“Their safety as food has not been verified,” the ministry said. “Please do not eat.”
The viral craze had diners seasoning the crispy toothpicks like chips, unaware that excessive consumption of an ingredient called sorbitol could cause vomiting and diarrhoea, reported The Independent UK.
While the ant sorbet may have won over adventurous foodies, prosecutors will now decide whether the restaurant’s culinary experiments crossed the legal line.
The story Ant-agonising: Korea Michelin eatery in a stew over Thai insects as seen on Thaiger News.
