Michelin-starred restaurant in South Korea investigated for serving dish topped with ants
The fine dining restaurant in Seoul's Gangnam district is reportedly popular for its creative interpretations of Korean cuisine, with a sorbet dish topped with ants sold as a signature meal, according to The Korea Times.
South Korea does recognise some insects, including locusts, grasshoppers and mealworms, as edible, and boiled or steamed silkworm pupae are sold as a popular street food item known as beondegi, but ants are not classified as an edible ingredient.
A violation of the Food Sanitation Act is punishable by a fine of up to 50m won (£26,867) or a prison term of up to five years.
The food and drug safety ministry said on Thursday it had referred the restaurant's owner to prosecutors for using imported dried ants in a food item.
'To use ants as food, businesses must obtain temporary approval for standards and specifications under food safety regulations,' a ministry official pointed out. 'We have shared the results of this investigation with the relevant local government and requested administrative action.'
According to Korea JoongAng Daily, the ministry began investigating the unnamed restaurant after seeing blogs and social media posts with the dish in question.
The restaurant allegedly imported two types of ants from the US and Thailand using an express mail service between April 2021 and November 2024, local media reported. It sold around 12,000 dishes until December 2024, bringing in about 120 million won (£64,484).
The dish is quite popular with customers, South Korean media reported, with many calling it 'an upgraded experience'.
The restaurant's owner said they were unaware that ants weren't legally recognised as a food ingredient, according to The Korea Times.
Insects are considered a nutritious and sustainable food source in several parts of the world. In Thailand, fried crickets, ant eggs, grasshoppers, termites and silkworm pupae are popular street food items while Mexico sees grasshoppers, known as chapulines, and ant larvae, called escamoles, served in tacos and sauces.
Last year, the South Korean food ministry had to warn people against eat fried toothpicks made from starch in a shape resembling curly fries after it turned into a viral trend.
'Their safety as food has not been verified,' the ministry said in a post on X. 'Please do not eat.'
The toothpicks, commonly used in Korean restaurants to pick up finger foods, are made of sweet potato or corn starch. People on social media started to add the toothpicks to hot oil and add various seasonings including cheese.
However, local media reported they might include an ingredient called sorbitol and consuming too much could lead to vomiting and diarrhoea.
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