A new dish went viral on Chinese social media not necessarily for its flavorful appeal, but rather the shock at what the students were being offered.
The university prepared a large platter of steamed egg pudding, covered in a speckled-black layer of ants, first offered up on May 16.
Many students at the Fuyang Normal University in China’s Anhui Province appeared repulsed by the new dish according to chat-group messages reported by state sponsored media The Beijing Times. However, the report included positive commentary by a single student and upbeat music.
Ant Propaganda
The report begins with cartoon-like words reading, “The following images may cause discomfort,” along with a pleasant tune in the background.However, not all information was kept positive.
“Bugs??? This is too disgusting,” wrote one user, ironically named “Dare to eat anything,” in a chat group that shared pictures of the bug-pudding, according to The Beijing News.
Many other users who shared about the meal on Weibo, China’s version of Twitter, included one recurring phrase, “Do you dare to eat it?”
Certain dishes already use ants as a main ingredient, but insects are not a common meat source in China compared to livestock or seafood. One dish is named “Ant-Fried Pine Nuts,” where the two main ingredients are right in the name.
Could Ant Replace Pork?
It happens that in some regions, pork commonly accompanies egg-pudding, which is made by steaming whipped eggs with water, but several factors have pushed Chinese chefs to look to other protein options. The positive tone in the state-sponsored report comes at the same time as pork prices are on the rise due to the African Swine Fever (ASF) epidemic that is sweeping through China.As the Chinese regime grapples with importing pork to satisfy its citizens, propaganda may shift to a pleasant tune to other non-pork sources, as in the above report from The Beijing Times.