Chinese Restaurant Sparks Buzz With Egg Tarts Topped With ‘Giant Cockroaches’

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

A restaurant in southern China sparked controversy after serving a bizarre new dessert.

The restaurant served classic Cantonese egg tarts topped with large, fried insects that look just like gigantic cockroaches, according to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) .

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. “Water roaches are still roaches. “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.

The restaurant sells a set of three tarts for 28 yuan (around $4 USD).

The eatery, located in Shunde, introduced the unusual dish under the name “water roach egg tarts”, according to the report. I’ll never accept them as food,” another user said.