At first, we assumed the tiny black specks on the salad were chia seeds or some kind of seasoning. But her expression changed quickly. “These aren’t seeds,” she said. “They’re moving.”

We leaned in closer and realized, to our horror, that the specks were actually insect eggs—tiny, transparent spheres with dark dots inside, wriggling slightly. Shock turned into panic almost instantly.

We called the waiter over, but fear had already taken hold. With no idea what insect these eggs came from—or whether we had already ingested some—we called for an ambulance. My friend was visibly distressed, shaking from fear and nausea. The restaurant staff tried to calm us down, but it was too late. The damage was done.

At the hospital, doctors ran tests, prescribed precautionary medication, and advised us to watch for symptoms. Thankfully, we were okay, but