We ordered a salad, but there were tiny black specks in the food—it sent us straight to the hospital.

We ordered a salad, but there were tiny black specks in the food—it sent us straight to the hospital.
We thought we were just going to have a nice evening. Two friends, a cozy little restaurant in the city center, some quinoa, lots of chatting, and that sweet feeling of disconnection. But what was supposed to be a quiet dinner turned into a scene worthy of a thriller. And I can tell you, ever since that day, we haven’t looked at our plates the same way.
An appetizing salad… but one intriguing detail.
Everything seemed perfect. The atmosphere, the music, the beautifully presented plates. My friend, a fan of balanced recipes, had chosen an avocado and quinoa salad. It was just as she was about to take a bite that her expression changed.
“Do you see that?” she asked me, pointing to her fork, suspended between the plate and her mouth. Little black specks. Tiny. Too regular to be random, but discreet enough to go unnoticed. At the time, we thought they were chia seeds. After all, they’re trendy, right? But something wasn’t right. This feeling of doubt quickly turned into unease.
When doubt gives way to astonishment

And then… they moved. Yes, these “seeds” weren’t still. Upon closer inspection, they were translucent, like tiny bubbles with a dark dot inside. Insect eggs?! More precisely, bedbug eggs of a very rare species. Our blood ran cold. One of those surreal moments when everything seems unreal, except our instincts screaming, “This isn’t normal.”
The staff arrived as soon as we called them. They too turned pale. The dishes were immediately removed. The explanations came thick and fast: “storage problem,” “questionable product from the supplier,” “isolated incident.” But at that point, we weren’t listening anymore. We just wanted to leave. And fast.

Emergencies, precautions, and delayed stress
Head to the emergency room. Not because of immediate discomfort, but as a precautionary measure. The doctors were reassuring: tests, examinations, preventive treatment. Nothing to worry about at the time. But the anxiety doesn’t disappear with the snap of a finger. It’s not so much the fear of having swallowed something suspicious that bothers us, but rather the feeling of having been betrayed by what should have been a moment of pleasure.
We, of course, reported the incident to the health authorities. The restaurant, for its part, tried to handle the situation diplomatically, but the damage was done. The simple word “salad” has become synonymous with apprehension. And the chia seeds? We now observe them with the vigilance of a detective.
What this experience taught us
So yes, this story may seem extreme, but it reminded us of one essential thing: our food deserves our full attention. Without falling into paranoia, a few simple gestures can make a difference:
Observe: a dish that’s too perfect can sometimes hide suspicious details.
Listen to your instincts: if something seems off, it’s best to avoid it.
Choose transparent places: those that specify the origin of their products and their hygiene rules.
Don’t hesitate to report it: even if it’s uncomfortable, it can prevent future incidents.
And above all, this evening taught us to keep a little perspective. Because in the end, a mishap won’t prevent us from enjoying a good meal. But now, we look twice before plunging our fork into our plate… and we no longer joke about suspicious little black spots!

Sometimes, all it takes is a tiny detail in a salad to open our eyes to big truths.