“Strange” Seafood. What makes food exotic vs. normal?
Around the world there are many different types of cuisines and different delicacies in different areas of the world. In this mini report I will be talking about some seafood dishes that many would find odd or out of the norm. When I saw this prompt it spiked my interest because I love food and I like to see odd things that I never would have even thought of being a food or just having crazy preparation. The first dish I will be talking about is called Odori Ebi. This Japanese delicacy is definitely an odd one that makes my skin crawl. Odori Ebi Is live baby shrimp dipped in Japanese rice wine. The alcohol has the same effect that it does on humans but before the shrimp feels anything you are supposed to dip it in a special sauce and quickly eat it so as to not give it a slow painful death. I never would want to eat something that's still alive or moving that would just ruin my appetite. I bet you're wondering, how is he going to top that dish? What could be weirder? Let me tell you there are plenty of others and the rest of this list will continue to surprise you. This next dish isn't necessarily weird or unusual but how they get the meat for the dish is definitely not okay. This is just Florida Stone Crab. I know it doesn't sound like anything but the way the meat is harvested is appalling. They catch crabs then tear off the claws then keep the crab that has no claws until it grows back its claws just so they can tear them off again. They do this on repeat until the crab dies of natural causes or after they've gotten their use out of them. Also, every time the claws grow back they grow back larger so if you're ever in Florida having stone crab if you have a big claw that was probably the 4th regrown claw of a crab. Third times the charm? Definitely not Sannakji. This dish is either moving octopus tentacles or taking off a live octopus's tentacles and eating them while they're still wriggling. This dish has gotten very many people upset because of its inhumanity towards the animal but it is definitely an odd food. As this assignment continues and the list gets stronger my stomach feels weaker and weaker. There are so many different foods that just sound awful and I don't even know how anybody could create that thinking it was a good idea. You never see Gordon Ramsay making dishes that make you want to find the nearest bathroom or bucket. As we come to this last dish I am stalling a little bit because of how completely and utterly horrible this sounds to eat. The next strange seafood item is called Shiokara. This dish is assorted meats of different sea animals served in a thick brown paste of their own salted and fermented viscera and is served raw. Just imagine that. Just thinking about this makes me feel sick to my stomach. Before I started this assignment I was thinking about what I'm going to do for lunch but now I might just skip it. Shiokara Ingredients:
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Conclusion: I realize all of these aren't quite odd invertebrates but they are some of my favorites served in weird ways. I am fascinated by octopi and squids because of all their unique features and their extremely developed nervous system. I can't imagine ever eating an octopus with it's specialized feet and suction cups touching the inside of my mouth as I consume it. Then a squid served in a paste of its own organs sounds terrifying. I'd rather it just stay alive and I miss a meal then eat that. The stone crab sounds like it would taste good but I probably wouldn't eat it just based on how cruel the process of getting the claws is. It's just barbaric to rip off their chelipeds and then once they finally grow back to just rip them off again. The last dish I will give my verdict on is the baby shrimp dish. I could never eat this. I feel so terribly for the shrimp I like shrimp and it would probably taste good but the idea of it tickling the inside of my mouth with its antennae and possibly trying to flick its way out of my mouth using its abdominal contractions sounds awful.