- Taipei restaurant made news for the limited-edition noodle bowl featuring the cousin of crabs and prawns as people flocked to take pictures
- One scholar warns against potential health risks, saying the species could contain toxins or heavy metals such as mercury
Giant isopod ramen in a restaurant in Taipei, Taiwan. Photo: ReutersA 14-legged giant isopod is the highlight of a new dish at a ramen restaurant in Taipei, and it has people queuing up.
Last month, the shop, called The Ramen Boy, launched the limited-edition noodle bowl, declaring in a social media post that it had “finally got this dream ingredient”. Since then, more than 100 people have joined a waiting list to dine at the restaurant.
“It is so attractive because of its appearance – it looks very cute,” said the 37-year-old owner of the restaurant, who wanted to be identified only as Mr Hu, as he held up a giant isopod while customers took pictures.
“As for the cooking method, we use the simplest way, steam, so there is no difficulty to process it.”
The restaurant steams the isopod for 10 minutes before adding it to a bowl of ramen with thick chicken and fish broth. Each bowl costs NT$1,480 (HK$376). A customer said the meat tasted like a mix of crab and lobster with a dense, chewy texture.
What’s the big deal?
Giant isopods are a distant cousin of crabs and prawns. They are the largest among the thousands of species in the crustacean group, said the NOAA Ocean Exploration on its website.
These animals are usually found about 170 to 2,140 metres deep in the ocean, with 80 per cent of them living at a depth of 365 to 730 metres, said Taiwan’s Animal Planet on a Facebook page.
A Taiwanese expert identified the species as Bathynomus jamesi, discovered near the Dongsha Islands on the South China Sea. They are thought to be caught between 300 to 500 metres deep in the ocean.
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Since the ramen launched, some experts have expressed concerns over the potential ecological impact of bottom trawling – the way of fishing for these animals that are so deep in the ocean.
But customers at the restaurant weren’t too worried.
“If it’s just a special menu, and the giant isopods were caught unintentionally like the restaurant owner says they were, everyone should try it if they get a chance,” said 34-year-old Digell Huang.
“I am very honoured to have this opportunity to taste it,” she added as she ate a bowl of the isopod-topped noodle.
Potential risks of eating isopods
A scholar, however, warned against potential health risks, saying the largely unknown species could contain toxins or heavy metals such as mercury.
The Bathynomus jamesi species was recognised officially in Taiwan last year, and there is not much data on it, according to Huang Ming-chih, a biotechnology associate professor who specialises in deep-sea invertebrates at the National University of Tainan.
“The best practice would be to do more research ... build a complete database, and then allow people to eat; it would be better that way,” he added.
More facts about isopods
Isopods are invertebrates – animals without backbones – that belong to the group known as crustaceans, which also includes crabs and shrimp.
There are about 10,000 species of isopods. Their length can range from less than 1cm to more than one metre. About half of them live in the ocean. Others can be found in shallow waters or in plants.
One common land-dwelling isopod is the wood lice, which lives in damp environments, such as gardens and forests.
Isopods share some common physical characteristics. All of them have two pairs of antennae, and their bodies consists of seven segments, each with its own pair of legs (see graphic).