China has once again found a way to thrill coffee lovers. Beijing’s entomology museum (the scientific study of insects) now offers coffee made with powdered cockroaches. Curiously, the drink has already gone viral on the internet.
The museum’s insect menu offers not only cockroach coffee, but also drinks made with pitcher plant digestive juice, yellow mealworms and a limited edition brewed with ants. The price for these coffee experiments is 45 yuan (roughly $6).
Employees assure visitors that there is nothing to fear, since all ingredients are purchased from traditional Chinese medicine pharmacies, where powdered cockroaches have long been considered a means to improve blood circulation, and mealworm protein is used to bolster immunity.
Those who have tried the drink describe its flavor as «burnt and slightly sour.» The museum team said that most frequent buyers are young guests seeking a new gastronomic experience, while parents with children tend to avoid it, as they are not fond of cockroaches.
One local content creator agreed to taste the cockroach coffee at his subscribers’ request. He closed his eyes, took a sip and admitted that it wasn’t as disgusting as he expected.
Although the comment sections are full of statements like «I dare not drink it even if you pay me,» such experiments in China do not shock anyone. This year, the country has already seen coffee with deep-fried worms served in Yunnan province and latte mixed with fried chili and hot pepper powder offered in Jiangxi.
A museum employee says that the introduction of these drinks is justified — since the museum is dedicated to insects, the café should also be themed accordingly. Judging by the reaction of social media users, the idea has certainly worked.
Previously, Kursiv.media reported that the world’s most expensive coffee, brewed from Panama seeds, is prepared in a coffee shop in Dubai.
