Japan har visserligen vissa unika livsmedel. Ett känt / ökänt exempel, som även den äventyrligaste eateren kanske tänker två gånger om, är Ikizukuri :
ikezukuri (活け造り), (roughly translated as "prepared alive") is the preparing of sashimi (raw fish) from live seafood. In this Japanese culinary technique, the most popular sea animal used is fish, but octopus, shrimp, and lobster may also be used.
The practice is controversial owing to concerns about the animal's suffering, as it is still alive when served.
...The restaurant may have one or several tanks of live sea animals for a customer to choose from... Ikizukuri fish may be prepared with only three knife cuts by the chef. They are usually presented with the head still whole so that customers are able to see the continuing gill movements.
Liknande traditioner existerar i Kina och Korea (filmfans kan komma ihåg den levande bläckfiskens ätaplats från det ursprungliga Oldboy ) men det finns några stora skillnader beskrivs i den här bloggen :
the Chinese have their own way of Ikizukuri, deep-frying the fish and keeping them alive till they are eaten, known as Yin Yang fish
In Korea, this practice is less cruel. Sannakji which are small octopuses cut into little pieces and usually lightly seasoned with sesame oil and sesame. While they are already dead, their nerves and suckers are still active, causing them to squirm and stick to the insides of your mouth. I’ve had the opportunity to try this, and let’s just say there wouldn’t be a second time. One [has] to be careful to chew them carefully as several cases of choking have been reported as the suckers stick to your throat when swallowing
Njut av det japanska livsmedlet som utgör den största faran och orsakar (jag tror) de flesta dödsfall är faktiskt en av de mest till synes vanliga: extremt klibbiga mochi riskakor, som är lätta att kväva och svåra att lossna, och orsaka flera dödsfall varje år, vanligtvis kring nyårsfesten .