Kick back after a hard day with a thirst-quenching bottle of Insect Sour

This drink puts the “water” back into “giant water bug.”

Hey there. You’ve put in a hard day’s work, so it’s only fair to reward yourself with a cold, relaxing drink. However, some days not just any drink will do. Some days call for the complex flavors of a cool and refreshing Insect Sour (“Konchu Sour” in Japanese).

For this particular drink the noble giant water bug, endemic to many parts of East Asia, was selected. Some western cultures may refer to cockroaches as “water bugs” but don’t worry, because these absolutely aren’t cockroaches. In fact, they’re much larger and even known to prey on some amphibians like baby turtles with their big, meaty front legs.

▼ But now, the hunter has become the hunted…

They’re also among the top selling edible insects from online retailer Bugs Farm, based in Toda City, Saitama Prefecture. The male Taiwanese giant water bug in particular is said to have a sweet, almost fruity, flavor comparable to some types of shellfish like shrimp.

Bugs Farm seems to have really captured this flavor in Insect Sour which even lists “giant water bug extract” as its main ingredient. The producers add that you can even smell the males’ pheromones among the fruity bouquet of this beverage.

Bugs Farm also recommends enjoying Insect Sour with lots of ice, either to cut the five-percent alcohol content or the taste itself – we aren’t sure which. One things that is certain, however, is that this drink truly opens up a whole new world of potential meal pairings.

Personally, I salute the effort. All too often insect foods are offered to us with very little in the way of processing or presentation, which just seems counterproductive. I’m pretty sure I didn’t get hooked on beef and pork because someone tossed a dead cow or pig on my table, so I don’t know why they expect that to happen with crickets and giant water bugs.

And so, Insect Sour is a very welcome step in the right direction and can be ordered directly from the Bugs Farm website here. One 250-milliliter (8-ounce) bottle costs 638 yen ($5.63), which makes it a little hard to fit into a senbero, but it’s still just the kind of giant water bug that you want to see in your home when you come back from work.

Source: Bugs Farm, PR Times, Narinari.com
Images: PR Times
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