A restaurant in Guangdong, China, has gone viral for serving egg tarts topped with whole, fried insects. Although they resemble giant cockroaches, the insects are actually edible diving beetles. Prepared to be crispy, they add a savory crunch to the sweet pastry.
A restaurant in China has sparked widespread online curiosity with an unusual dessert that looks more like a food challenge than a traditional pastry. The eatery in Shunde, Guangdong province, is serving egg tarts topped with whole, fried insects resembling giant cockroaches, drawing both disgust and fascination from social media users.
The creation, called a “water roach egg tart”, was introduced in early October. Images showing large insects perched on the golden pastries quickly spread across Chinese social media, turning the unusual combination into a viral food trend.
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Despite their appearance, the insects used in the dish are reportedly not cockroaches. Restaurant owner Pan explained that they are diving beetles, aquatic insects that are edible and have a place in traditional food culture in parts of southern China.
According to reports, the beetles are prepared by first removing their characteristic odour before frying them at a carefully controlled temperature until they become crispy. Their wings are left intact, preserving the insects’ distinctive appearance when they are placed on top of the pastries.
Pan compared the resulting texture to adding a layer of crispy potato chips to an egg tart. The dish combines the sweetness of the creamy egg filling with the savoury crunch of the fried beetle, creating a contrast that has attracted adventurous diners.
The unusual dessert is priced at 28 Chinese yuan for a set of three, according to reports. The restaurant reportedly sells around 20 sets daily, with customers travelling from Guangzhou and Hong Kong to try the speciality. South China Morning Post+1
Social Media Reactions: Would You Try It? Online reactions have been divided. While some users find the appearance too unsettling to consider eating, others are curious about the taste and the culinary traditions behind the dish.
One social media user reacted, “It’s hard even to look at it—how can anyone eat it?” Another commenter observed that the insect looks so much like a cockroach that it is difficult to accept it as food. The Sportschosun
The dish has also renewed interest in southern China’s regional food traditions, where certain aquatic insects have historically been consumed. Some traditional practices attribute medicinal benefits to these insects, but such claims should not be treated as established medical facts without scientific evidence.
For now, the restaurant’s unusual creation is attracting attention less for its nutritional value than for its striking appearance and unexpected combination of flavours. Whether viewed as an adventurous culinary experiment or a dessert too bizarre to try, the insect-topped egg tart has certainly made its mark online.