Australian chef Joseph Lidgerwood, owner of double Michelin-starred restaurant Evett in Seoul, is facing up to a year in prison after prosecutors accused him of importing and serving 49,000 ants as a dessert garnish since 2021. Prosecutors are also seeking a ₩20 million fine against the restaurant's parent company.
Allegations and Legal Breach
Prosecutors allege that serving ants breaches South Korea's food safety laws. Under the regulations, only 10 insect species are approved for human consumption, including grasshoppers, locusts and two-spotted crickets. Businesses wanting to serve insects not on the approved list, such as ants, must first obtain permission from authorities, which prosecutors claim Evett failed to do.
Authorities discovered the alleged ant-topped desserts after social media videos and photographs showed the unusual dish — a sorbet palate cleanser.
Restaurant's Response
Evett stated that Lidgerwood used "ant acidity in dishes while working in the US and Europe, and was unaware that it was illegal in Korea." The restaurant owner admitted that ants were being served but said they made up a "small part" of the 15-course menu. Diners could opt for non-ant toppings using fermented vinegar and edible flowers. The restaurant added that slightly more than half of diners chose the ant option, disputing prosecutors' claim that the restaurant made ₩120million (£61,000) from the ant dessert.
Health Concerns
Health authorities found that the ants used contained "up to 55 times more heavy metals than typical edible insects." Heavy metals like arsenic, lead and mercury are not dangerous in trace amounts but can be harmful with prolonged exposure or in large amounts, especially to children and pregnant women.
Global Context of Eating Ants
Ants are eaten across the world and prized in several Asian, African and Latin American nations. In Australia, First Nations people eat ants as 'bush tucker', a practice going back at least 60,000 years. In Thai and Cambodian cooking, weaver ants and their eggs are used. Queen ants are prized as caviar in Colombia. Danish chef Rene Redzepi once created a dish covered in live ants at a Tokyo pop-up. Brazilian chef Alex Atala offered a dish of pineapple cube topped with raw Amazonian leaf-cutter ant at his Michelin-starred DOM restaurant.
