Food Spotlight #2: Ikizukuri

WARNING: The following post is meant to be informative and may not be suitable for those with a weak stomach. I highly advise that you at least attempt to read this article as it is full of information. There are no pictures in this post but I will have links to videos if you are interested in viewing them.

Here's a short summary that may be easier to stomach: Ikizukuri is the Japanese term for "live sashimi". It is a tradition in Japan and requires a very high level of skill to produce. While this may be shunned as immoral, I ask that you keep an open mind and formulate your opinion at the end of the article

NOTE: Below contains my article on Ikizukuri "Live Sashimi"
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Ikizukuri

Ikizukuri, better known as "live sashimi", is a traditional delicacy in Japan. The traditional meat used for ikizukuri is fish. To produce a plate of Ikizukuri requires a highly skilled chef as the fish must still be alive when eaten. This means that the fish must go from tank to plate in the matter of minutes. The fish is taken out of the tank, the meat is taken off in a matter as not to disturb the organs (to keep the fish alive longer) and then is quickly sliced into strips for sashimi. The beating heart is then placed on the plate with the rest of the fish (still breathing) along with the sashimi and is then served to its diners.

In this video you can see that the fish is still alive when presented (YouTube)

In this video you can see the skill involved in preparing ikizukuri as the fish is still alive and able to live in a fish tank (YouTube)

In addition to fish, the Japanese also serve live lobster and shrimp sashimi. While the shrimp may not actually be alive as the head is severed from it's body, the shrimp still moves and is called odori ebi or "dancing shrimp". In Asia it is also common to find live baby octopus tentacles that have been cut up into bite-sized pieces.

In this video you can see a plate of odori ebi (YouTube)

In this video you can see "live" lobster sashimi (YouTube)

In this video you can see live abalone sashimi (YouTube)

Is this immoral version of sashimi justified? To be served alive? It is on the other hand, a tradition and a show of skill and is very expensive. It is also the same as eating raw opihi right out of the ocean or eating live oysters on the half shell. It is because of the fact that it is still moving as it is dieing or after it is dead make it immoral? Wouldn't eating live shellfish be immoral as well? I myself view this as an act of horror but at the same time view it as tradition. It is traditional to eat some foods live. We have been eating live shellfish for ages -- why stop now? i hope that by now you have formed your own opinion about this matter and I hope that I have enlightened you on the topic of ikizukuri.

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