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A prominent two Michelin-starred restaurant located in Seoul has been penalised by South Korean judicial authorities after incorporating ants into its dessert courses as a garnish, running afoul of the country’s strict national food sanitation regulations.
The legal ruling targeted Evett, a high-end dining establishment in the capital, resulting in a 15 million won (£8,144; $10,965) fine for the restaurant's owner. In addition to the personal penalty imposed on the proprietor, the corporate entity responsible for operating the restaurant received a separate fine of 10 million won for breaching South Korea's Food Sanitation Act.
The verdict concludes a legal proceeding in which state prosecutors had initially pushed for much harsher punishments. During the trial, prosecutors argued that the owner deserved a one-year custodial prison sentence alongside a larger financial penalty of 20 million won for repeatedly utilizing unauthorized ingredients in commercial food service.
In delivering the judgment, the court explained that the decision to spare the restaurateur from time behind bars was influenced by several mitigating circumstances. The presiding judge took into consideration the fact that the defendant fully admitted to the charges and possessed no prior criminal record within the country.
Nevertheless, the court emphasized that the offense could not be treated as a minor oversight. The judge pointed out that official testing conducted on the insect garnish revealed heavy metal concentrations that exceeded domestic food safety limits, leading the court to conclude that the restaurant’s legal culpability remained substantial despite the lack of criminal intent.
Under South Korea’s statutory framework governing food hygiene and ingredients, only a strictly defined group of insect species is officially certified for human consumption. While the authorized roster allows for the culinary use of ten specific insect varieties—including grasshoppers, locusts, and particular types of silkworms—ants are completely excluded from the permitted registry.
The regulatory breach initially came to light when inspectors from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety detected photographic evidence of the unusual dessert toppings uploaded in public online reviews. Diners had shared pictures of their meals on social platforms and review forums, triggering a formal inquiry by food hygiene regulators into the establishment's sourcing and prep work.
Official investigative findings showed that the practice had persisted over an extended period. Regulators determined that the owner had been sprinkling between three and five ants across select dishes—principally sorbet desserts—for nearly four years, accumulating to an estimated total of roughly 49,000 ants served to patrons.
The culinary justification for introducing the insects was rooted in their distinctive flavour profile, with the kitchen utilizing them to provide a distinct, natural sour taste to balance the sweetness of the dessert.
The investigation also traced the international supply chains used to procure the ingredients. According to the food safety ministry, the vast majority of the ants utilized by the restaurant were imported directly from the United States, while a smaller portion of the stock was sourced from suppliers based in Thailand.
In defending his culinary choices throughout the proceedings, the owner maintained that he had acted without knowledge of the domestic ban. He noted that ants are widely recognized and served in various culinary traditions around the world, leading him to believe that their use would not constitute an illegal act in South Korea.
The restaurateur further argued in court that the garnish represented only a minor element within the context of the restaurant’s broader culinary offering. The ants appeared on a single dish within an expansive 15-course tasting menu, and service staff reportedly informed guests beforehand, offering an alternative, insect-free topping to anyone who preferred not to consume them.
The consumption of insects, including various species of ants, has deep historical roots and continues to be practiced across diverse parts of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. In Southeast Asian nations such as Thailand and Cambodia, weaver ants and their eggs are commonly featured in regional recipes, while in Colombia, roasted queen ants are celebrated as a prized culinary specialty often compared in status to fine caviar.
Despite the cross-cultural prevalence of entomophagy, South Korean authorities enforce rigid standards regarding which specific species may be sold to the public. For an elite dining venue holding two Michelin stars—a distinction designated by the guide as representing "excellent cooking" that makes the venue "worth a detour"—the ruling highlights the necessity of aligning avant-garde gastronomy with local regulatory mandates.
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