Fancy a sprinkle of ants on your dessert?
That was the unusual garnish served at a two-Michelin-starred restaurant in South Korea — and it has landed its owner in trouble with local authorities, South Korean media outlet The Korea Herald reported on Tuesday (July 21).
The owner of the restaurant is accused of violating the Food Sanitation Act and he could face a possible one-year jail term for serving black ants as a topping on a palate-cleansing sorbet, reported Yonhap News Agency.
The chef reportedly topped the icy desserts with “three to five” ants “to add a sour taste”.
Ants are not approved for use as food ingredients for human consumption in South Korea.
Court documents did not name either the restaurant or its owner.
South Korean prosecutors also sought a fine of 20 million won (S$17,600) for the restaurant’s operating company.
Prosecutors said that the restaurant served the ant-topped sorbet more than 12,200 times, generating about 120 million won in revenue over nearly four years until January 2025.
They reportedly used an estimated 49,000 ants.
These black ants were reportedly imported from Thailand and the United States, according to a statement from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.
Under South Korean law, only 10 insect species are permitted as food ingredients, including grasshoppers and brown mealworm larvae, the BBC reported.
The defendant’s lawyers argued that the ant-topped desserts were only served to diners who had agreed to consume them beforehand.
“I apologise for this incident, which arose from my failure to fully understand the relevant regulations,” the defendant reportedly said in his closing statement.
The court is expected to deliver its ruling on Sept 2.
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helmy.saat@asiaone.com
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