TOKYO – Tired of the usual box of chocolates? Try a bug cocktail or a caramel creepy crawly for Valentine’s Day.

A Tokyo bar on Sunday offered courageous couples and curious gourmets a special menu of desserts and drinks made with insects ahead of Tuesday’s holiday. “They are crispy like the skin of walnuts and go pretty well with chocolate,” Sayumi Makino, 20, told Reuters Television at the Duranbar in central Tokyo.

The menu ranged from a cranberry and water bug cocktail to caramelized worms with almonds and cashews. The whipped cream on some desserts included the internal fluids of giant Thai water bugs, known for their sweet taste.

While insects can be found in some regional cuisines, bugs are not a common menu item across Japan.

Yuta Shinohara, a university student who organised the bug cocktail night, said he wanted to promote an alternative food culture. “I love insects and I think it’s really fun to eat them,” he said, adding they were a sustainable food source too.

Insects can be a rich source of fat, protein, vitamins, fibre and minerals, according to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

The composition of unsaturated omega-3 and six fatty acids in mealworms is comparable to that in fish and higher than in beef and pork, it says.

Globally, at least 2 billion people eat insects and more than 1,900 species have been used for food, according to the FAO, which said entomophagy could play a key role in food security and environmental protection.

BEIJING – China opposes North Korean missile tests that run contrary to UN resolutions, the Foreign Ministry said on Monday after North Korea said it had successfully test-fired a new type of medium- to long-range ballistic missile the previous day.

Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang made the comment at a daily news briefing in Beijing.

North Korea fired the ballistic missile on a high arc into the sea early on Sunday, the first test of US President Donald Trump’s vow to get tough on isolated North Korea, that tested nuclear devices and ballistic missiles last year at an unprecedented rate.

Read Also:
– North Korea says ballistic missile test a success: media
– Trump says US behind Japan ‘100%’ after North Korea missile launch
– China expels 32 South Korea missionaries amid missile defence tension

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Sunday that it would install malodor reduction devices in 10 more places in the capital to prevent bad smells wafting from waste pipes.

The city government said it was part of Seoul’s efforts to reduce the number of civil complaints about bad smells by 30 per cent by 2018.

In June last year, the city government vowed to inject 170 million won (S$210,000) to install malodor reduction devices.

Malodor reduction devices, similar to air purification systems, work by injecting oxygen to prevent gas stored inside septic tanks from being released through manholes or inlets on streets.

It costs approximately 2 million won to install such a device in a five-story building.

By the end of last year, the city government completed installing the devices in areas frequented by visitors and tourists including Gwanghwamun and Myeong-dong.

Malodor is a major bugbear in metropolitan cities and considered a major form of pollution, along with light and noise.

“We aim to continuously work on reducing bad smells in Seoul and create a pleasant living environment for all citizens,” said Kwon Ki-wook from Seoul City Hall’s Water Circulation Safety Bureau.

The city will also create a so-called odour pollution city map to allow citizens to view the status of malodor complaints and installation of malodor reduction devices in the capital, Kwon added.

In 2003, the government enacted the Malodor Prevention Act and defined malodor as “any odour that causes displeasure and disgust to people by stimulating their olfactory sense with hydrogen sulfide, mercaptane, amines, or other pungent substances.”

Facilities that emit malodor can be legally required to pay for the cost of operating public malodor treatment facilities.

National Stadium, also known as the Bird’s Nest, officially opened its roof corridor on Saturday for sightseeing and fitness events.

The stadium, which was built for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, opened the roof corridor during an orienteering competition involving by 40 outdoor sports enthusiasts.

Orienteering involves individuals or teams racing to navigate a course and visiting set checkpoints in sequence.

Participants started the race cross-country skiing on man-made snow outside the stadium, before competing in a curling contest on artificial rinks inside and running down the roof corridor to complete the 3.8-kilometer course.

The stainless steel corridor was extended to 1,000 meters from an original 200-meter section built for maintenance purposes and now runs across the roof with a sightseeing platform at the west end.

The highest point of the corridor stands 69 meters above the ground.

Steel fences and glass screens have been installed along the corridor for safety, with the stadium’s steel beams deemed strong enough for the roof corridor’s commercial operation by the China Architecture Design and Research Group, according to the stadium’s management company.

“The roof corridor will add to the stadium’s lure as a tourist venue and a popular host of fitness events to benefit the public during its post-Olympic operation. We would love to see more events organised here featuring the use of the roof corridor,” said Wu Xiaonan, general manager of the stadium.

On top of the stadium, visitors can enjoy a stunning view of the National Aquatics Center, better known as the Water Cube; the Linglong Tower, used for broadcasting during the 2008 Olympics; the dragon-shaped lake in the Olympic Green; and the famous high-rise buildings in north Beijing’s downtown area.

While a sightseeing ticket for all locations inside the stadium costs 50 yuan (S$10.40), 80 yuan gives visitors additional access to the roof corridor.

Since October 2008, the stadium has attracted more than 28 million visitors and hosted about 680 events, including sports competitions, exhibitions and entertainment shows.

“We have worked hard on ensuring that the venue is utilized through sustainable use to guarantee its Olympic legacy,” said Shi Lei, the stadium’s planning manger.

sunxiaochen@chinadaily.com.cn