In Shunde, Guangdong, one eatery is going viral for purposely including those very things on their treats that many of us strive to keep out of our food — crispy fried diving beetles, resembling giant cockroaches (colloquially and locally dubbed “water cockroaches”), are now being placed on egg tarts. This curious menu item appeared in October.

The nutritious beetle is considered a local delicacy and finds its use in traditional Chinese medicine. South China Morning Post tells us, “[…] it is believed to nourish the skin and kidneys, improve blood circulation, help resolve blood stasis, and strengthen muscles and bones.” The age-old idea of consuming bugs has long ceased to be all that novel even in the typically less adventurous West, with many Hollywood celebrities like Nicole Kidman flaunting their love of spooky-looking squirmers and crawlers.

However, the egg tart in question, which can be seen in a video by HKeye here, still strikes us as admirably innovative. As SCMP points out, “Shunde is a city known for its Cantonese cuisine and recognised as a Unesco Creative City of Gastronomy.”

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A Restaurant Is Serving Cockroach-Like Bugs on Dessert, and Customers Can’t Get Enough

It’s no wonder that customers travel from cities like Hong Kong and Beijing to procure the viral tart. An Italian influencer even stopped by. The Standard reported that the establishment’s owner, Pan, “said the idea originated from his lifelong familiarity with traditional Cantonese ingredients and a desire to reinvent local dim sum.”

For the tarts in question, the beetles must be deodorized. The wings are left intact. The flavor of the delightful insect toppings has been compared to that of a potato crisp. The egg tart base is said to taste more traditional, in line with expectations. The dessert comes at a great price: Three can be purchased for 28 yuan, which equates to slightly over $4. Despite some mean online comments, we hope to give the healthy treat a try one of these days, as we have faith in Asian culinary excellence.

The post This Restaurant Is Putting Giant ‘Water Cockroaches’ on Egg Tarts, and People Are Actually Eating Them appeared first on VICE.

Hideo Kojima has crafted unforgettable gaming experiences, from the Metal Gear and Death Stranding franchises to the infamous P.T., which was intended as a playable teaser for a new Silent Hill game with Kojima at the helm. His upcoming horror project, OD, just received an intriguing new visual, offering a tiny peek into a project audiences still know very little about. 

According to the Kojima Productions account on X, the poster will be part of the Beyond the Strand Exhibition, a showcase celebrating the studio’s tenth anniversary. It features actress Sophia Lillis, who audiences will recognize from her turn as young Beverly Marsh in the It films, gazing up at a mysterious red object. It might be a broom, judging by the cluster of what appears to be crimson straw at bottom – but knowing the minds behind this project, it could be anything. 

The rest of the poster is very simple. Apart from Sophia and the potential broom, the background is white, matching the shirt Sophia is wearing. Above her head, nearly invisible against the background, reads the tagline: “For all players and screamers.” 

Hideo Kojima’s New Horror Game ‘OD’ Gets a Creepy New Teaser, and Fans Have Questions

OD was first announced in 2023, and since then, Kojima hasn’t given audiences much to go on, though it seems more in the interest of mystery than a lack of news. Back in September of this year, while appearing at the Tokyo Game Showcase, he revealed that production had resumed following the SAG strike, including performance capture and ADR recording. He also praised Sophia’s performance, along with her costar, Hunter Schafer, who will also appear in the game. 

It seems that OD will follow an anthology format, with each playable segment being crafted by a different director, a group that Kojima has referred to as his “horror Avengers”. Filmmaker Jordan Peele is involved with the project, and considering Jordan is behind such horror hits as Us, Get Out, and NOPE, it’s incredibly exciting to hear that he is involved with OD. 

Along with Sophia and Hunter, the cast includes the late actor Udo Kier. Apart from starring as Jules in Euphoria and Tigris Snow in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Hunter has explored the horror genre before, including a leading role as Gretchen in Cuckoo. Fans of the horror game genre may recognize Udo from his voice acting as Erich in Martha Is Dead, in addition to his film and television roles. 

An official release window hasn’t been announced yet, but players can expect to dive into the terrifying world of OD on Xbox and PC when the game does come out. 

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