Retiring Taiwanese Councilor Recalls Serving Constituents by Eating Ants

As his term as a city councilor draws to a close, Chen Cheng-tien of Taichung, Taiwan, shared a peculiar anecdote from his time as a local village chief, illustrating his commitment to constituent service.

Chen, who previously served three terms as a village chief and four terms as a city councilor, will not seek re-election. He recounted an incident from early in his tenure as village chief when a 75-year-old, wheelchair-bound grandmother contacted him with a severe ant infestation in her home. Initially questioning if dealing with ants was part of a village chief's duties, Chen decided to visit her home out of a sense of duty.

Upon arrival, Chen discovered a significant ant problem originating from an overgrown area outside the grandmother's home, with the nest encroaching on her kitchen. Without hesitation, he borrowed a sickle from a neighbor, cleared the weeds, and eliminated the ant nest. However, Chen then proceeded to do something that startled onlookers: he collected the ants, cooked them with cabbage, and declared the resulting "ant and cabbage soup" to be "very delicious."

The story, shared during Chen's final civil affairs questioning session at the Taichung City Council, elicited gasps and raised eyebrows. It served as a memorable, albeit unusual, testament to his willingness to go to extraordinary lengths to address the concerns of his constituents, even when faced with the bizarre.

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Very delicious.