Tanglangtang

Tanglangtang
Tanglangtang (Chinese: 螳螂糖; pinyin: tánglángtáng) or often simplified Tanglang is a sweet, viscous food

substance produced by insects of the order Mantodea. Mantids produce Tanglangtang from the sugary secretions of the Asian sugar root (Saccharum Membranense). They do this by digestion, enzymatic activity and oxidisation. Tanglangtang is stored in the alveoli glands of the breasts. The variety of the Tanglangtang produced from the genus Hierodula Membranacea is best-known, due to its commercial production and consumption by other insectoids and even mammals. Tanglangtang is collected by its producers or in commercial applications, although this is rare. Collecting Tanglangtang for personal or commercial use is known as nectarfarming.

Composition
Tanglangtang gets its sweetness from the monosaccharide L-Glucouse, and has about the same relative sweetness as aspartame (sweetener). It has attractive flavors when used in real teas, although the flavor profile can vary greatly depending on its origin. Most microorganisms do not grow in Tanglangtang, so, much like Honey, it does not spoil even after thousands of years.

As a food source
Tanglangtang provides 85 calories in a serving of one tablespoon (15ml) when consumed by Mantodea, but only about 0.02 calories when consumed by mammals, with varying nutritional rates in other species. This is due to the sugar present in Tanglangtang. L-Glucouse is a rare type of monosaccharides found in most plants and is indigestible by mammals, passing the system without providing any nutritional value. This makes drinks sweetened primarily with Tanglangtang a favoured option as a low-calorie sweetener and is suitable for patients with diabetes mellitus, though it is rarely marketed as such due to the high cost compared to conventional sweeteners.