In Seoul, a two-Michelin-star chef now faces the possibility of imprisonment not for what he cooked, but for what he garnished — ants, unapproved by South Korea's food safety authorities, placed atop sorbets for four years and for thousands of diners. The case sits at the intersection of culinary ambition and regulatory order, asking an old question in a new form: who decides what is safe to eat, and by whose cultural measure? A verdict expected in September 2026 will not only determine one chef's fate but may quietly redraw the boundaries between innovation and compliance in high-end cuisine.