“Sea cockroaches? You can eat it.” I saw ramen at 64,000 won per bowl.

Deep-sea isopod ramen sold for 64,000 won per bowl. [‘라멘보이’ 페이스북]

[헤럴드경제=김유진 기자] A Taiwanese restaurant is attracting attention by introducing deep-sea isopod ramen reminiscent of cockroaches. Deep-sea isopods are sometimes called ‘cockroaches of the sea’ due to their unusual diet, but they are known to have a flavor comparable to that of lobsters or crabs.

On the 23rd (local time), America’s Asia-specialized media Next Shark released a photo on social media, saying that the ‘Ramen Boy’ restaurant in the Liaoning Night Market in Taipei, Taiwan sells unique deep-sea isopod ramen on a limited basis, drawing keen attention. . There are 10,000 comments from netizens on the sales opening posted on Facebook alone.

[‘라멘보이’ 페이스북]

Deep-sea isopods are not found in Korean waters. Its main habitat is cold, deep waters such as the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Like cockroaches, they are known to survive by eating rotten fish carcasses, and are nicknamed ‘sea cleaners’. Because it lives in the deep sea where the probability of encountering a creature to be prey is extremely low, it is famous for turning its eyes over and eating it when it sees its prey.

The tenacious vitality to survive without food for a long time is also reminiscent of cockroaches. It is known that deep-sea isopods bred at the Toba Aquarium in Toba City, Mie Prefecture, Japan survived without food for more than five years after feeding about 50g.

[‘라멘보이’ 페이스북]

Although it has a rather frightening appearance, the restaurant introduced the deep-sea isopod through social media as “cute-looking.”

The restaurant said on social media, “Finally, I found the ingredient of my dreams to accompany the chicken broth-based white soup. It is a deep-sea isopod,” he said. “I was amazed to see a large deep-sea isopod at an aquarium in Japan where I visited to find food. It looks very cute.” “The white flesh of deep-sea isopods is similar to crayfish or crab, and the intestines taste like sweet crab sauce,” he said.

According to the restaurant, the deep-sea isopods were caught near the Pratas Islands (Dungsha Islands). The Tungsha Islands are an area between Taiwan and China over territorial disputes. It is a group of three islands in the northern part of the South China Sea, administered by Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. If you hit it in Korea, it’s like a food made with ‘Dokdo shrimp’.

[‘라멘보이’ 페이스북]

Taiwanese netizens who saw the new menu reacted, saying, “It was so ugly that it survived for 100 million years, but was eventually dragged out and eaten by humans,” and “I’m afraid that a new epidemic will break out from eating a new animal.”

Meanwhile, according to the restaurant, the shells of deep-sea isopods are for decoration. It is made by adding boiled lean meat and noodles to a clear soup made with chicken stock. The price is 1,480 Taiwan dollars (about 64,000 won) per bowl. It is a limited edition sold only to regular customers due to insufficient quantity.

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