Seaweed noodles attract attention in Taiwan

A ramen shop in Taipei, Taiwan, has attracted attention for selling noodles served with sea beetles, a species that lives deep under the sea.

Ramen Boy, a noodle shop in Taipei, Taiwan, posted on Facebook earlier this week that it serves noodles with "giant sea sponges." They described the animal's meat as tasting like crab and lobster.

The shop says the sea urchin is a “dream ingredient” and is typically found at depths of at least 550 feet in the Atlantic Ocean. Each bowl of giant sea urchin noodles costs around $48, with the meat already removed, while the shell of the urchin is simply placed on top for decoration.

Giant sea worm noodles from Ramen Boy in Taipei, Taiwan. Photo: Facebook/Ramen Boy — Sea worm noodles from Ramen Boy in Taipei, Taiwan. Photo: *Facebook/Ramen Boy*

The scientific name of this sea beetle is Bathynomus giganteus, and it is related to shrimp and crab. They are rarely caught for commercial consumption because they live deep in the ocean. However, sea beetles are sometimes found in Japanese dishes. In 2015, a Japanese company produced cakes made from this animal.

In Ramen Boy's post, which has attracted more than 11,000 likes and thousands of comments and shares, many people expressed concern about this dish.

"I've heard that the flesh of this sea beetle is very sweet, but I'll pass," one account commented. Another said the dish looked "too scary."

One social media user also criticized this dish for affecting the marine ecosystem, saying "not all animals should be put in the mouth".

However, the Ramen Boy store representative is still confident about the dish, saying that it has left a big impression on everyone.