Sweet Revenge: Scorpion Candy, the Ultimate Prank Food Hiding a Nasty Surprise

▲ The scorpion candy looks like a specimen preserved in amber. (Photo / Reporter Xiao Wan-Ning)

Text by Ya Shang De Sha Niu

“Take your shadow, salt it, pickle it, air-dry it, and when you’re old, have it with wine.” This line from Xia Yu’s “Sweet Revenge” actually exists in real life—just look at these scorpions encased entirely in sugar. It’s seriously creepy.But this isn’t some fake “gotcha!” gag—it’s the real deal: genuine scorpions with their stingers removed, then soaked in syrup. The scorpion inside tastes like a waterlogged biscuit and has an oddly chewy, moist texture.

Originally from the United States, scorpion candy was dreamed up on a whim by its creator—though their identity has been lost to time. Later, people started giving it as Halloween gifts or using it for pranks, and it gradually gained popularity.But let me tell you, this scorpion candy is actually pretty sweet and tasty.(Want to know how I know? Don’t ask—it’s scary!)