Food that moves - Eating ikizukuri (生き作り) and friends

For a video on the City-Cost Japan YouTube channel we had asked people how the feel about eating ikizukuri, or sashimi prepared from live fish.

It was only right then, but with a distinct lack of enthusiasm, that, after working like a dog, I headed off to try out some ikizukuri (生き作り) and other seafood that still shows signs of movement before ingestion. Honestly, a Big Mac would have sat a lot better.  Anyway, here's how it went down .. 

Still, as you may remember we made a video gathering opinion on the street about whether or not folk would be happy to try out ikizukuri (which you can see here). Only fair then, that we, or I, give it a go.

Let’s be clear, or unclear, actually. Ikizukuri is the preparation of sashimi from live seafood. Whether or not it’s still alive when it arrives in front of the diners seems to be unclear. In some cases, it is. In others, it’s just the last vestiges of nerves reacting to outside stimulus; like chopstick prodding or being doused in soy sauce.

On this occasion, we went with some squid at around 2,000 yen, and a couple of sea urchin at 800 yen.

Taste wise, fine. I’ve never been a fan of squid, but that’s more about the texture rather than the taste. Eating experience wise, and ethics, the ikizukuri experience was as I had suspected, all a bit pornographic.

There’s a kind of sordid, whooaaah, look at that element to it, as diners loom in for a closer look to see what kind of poses the star of the show can pull off. Honestly, if this is what the human condition has come to in our show of respect to the rest of creatures we share earth with, there seems little hope for the likes of PETA.  

Still, try anything once, and all that.  Even eating ikizukuri.  

More content regarding ikizukuri (生き作り) here on City-Cost:

Is The Ikizukuri / 生き作りDebate Alive and Kicking in Japan?

From the user blog

The Freshest Sashimi Possible: Ikizukuri