Michelin-Star Chef Could Serve Jail Time For Serving Ants
Joseph Lidgerwood, a celebrity chef and former contestant on the Netflix cooking show Culinary Class Wars, is waiting to find out if he’ll have to spend a year in a South Korean prison.
According to The Korea Herald, prosecutors are seeking a one-year prison sentence over a sorbet served at his two-Michelin-starred restaurant, Evett, which allegedly features dead ants as a garnish to give it a sour kick.
Prosecutors accuse Lidgerwood and the restaurant of importing and serving more than 49,000 culinary-grade ants from Thailand and the U.S. and have asked the court to fine Evett’s parent company ₩20 million ($13,703.23). Authorities only recently discovered the use of ants after diners shared photos on social media, but the dessert has apparently been around since 2021. During that time, Lidgerwood and the restaurant allegedly made ₩120 million ($82,219.37) from it.
The restaurant and Lidgerwood pleaded guilty to the charges but disputed the final estimate, claiming that closer to 60% of diners tried the ants rather than every customer. Lidgerwood had previously hinted at the dish in a 2022 Instagram post, writing, “Ants 🐜 Adding a little sour punch to our palate cleanser of frozen fermented rice.”
The restaurant owner added that the ants only appear as a small part of the 15-course menu, are optional, and commonly appear as an ingredient in the U.K., Australia, and Denmark. They said Evett also offers fermented vinegar and edible flowers as substitutes.
South Korea only approves 10 insects for consumption and use in food, including rice grasshoppers, silkworm pupae (known as beondegi), and baekgangjam, a silkworm larva killed by a fungal infection. Authorities consider ants an illegal food ingredient because they can contain high levels of heavy metals that may prove toxic for human consumption, in certain cases reaching up to 55 times the maximum limit.
Under South Korea’s Food Sanitation Act, using illegal food ingredients can result in up to five years in prison or a fine as high as ₩50 million ($33,000). Authorities can also suspend or revoke a business license.
The judge will hand down a ruling for Lidgerwood and Evett on September 2.
