Ikizukuri (Live sashimi)
When it comes to sashimi (raw fish), freshness is key, and no sashimi is fresher than ikezukuri, which is cut from a live fish and served quivering.
Often, the fish is quickly “reassembled” after it has been carved alive, and served as a gruesome parody of its former self. Vital organs are often left intact, so the fish may still be alive by the time the diner has finished eating it.
When restaurants in the West started serving it, ikezukuri experienced an inevitable backlash from animal rights groups. After a Japanese chef demonstrated the technique on a Los Angeles television station, he received hundreds of angry calls, including death threats.
Noone’s tried it with pigs or cows yet, but it’s only a matter of time. Hold still Daisy…
- Wikipedia: Ikezukuri
- The sushi mogul
Profile of Japanese chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa, whose television ikezukuri demonstration caused uproar in the US
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19 Comments, Comment or Ping
Terr
I’ve heard through the grapevine that there is a restaurant in Shaanxi Province, within the limits of Xi’an (China) that serves beef sliced from a live cow. Apparently 4 years is long enough for humanity to become noticeably more uncivilized.
And you know what they say about China. Where there’s one, there are hundreds more.
Besides, they haven’t even mastered human rights, let alone animal ones.
Jul 29th, 2008
Moriah
Ugh. This is so sick. If those freaks get food poisoning because of eating this, it’s no more than they deserve.
I can’t believe this kind of barbarity is still legal. Meat is cruel (which is why I’m vegan), but this seriously pushes it to new depths of sickness. There truly is no limit to the horror human minds can invent.
Dec 8th, 2008
IGRAINE
What sort of moron considered this a good idea? I don’t think I ever felt more disgusted by anything. I don’t know who is worse, the “chefs” willing to inflict this kind of torture, or the twisted perverts who think it is acceptable to pay money for this and than actually eat something alive.
One can only hope that what goes around, comes around.
Dec 30th, 2008
Guess I'll take the other side.
Guys it’s a long, long tradition. And when you’re raised in that kind of environment, it’s normal. When I go back to asia and tell people about orgies, sex parties, open relationships, etc. they generally have the same reactions you guys have now.
“And you know what they say about China. Where there’s one, there are hundreds more.”
Honestly, I can’t believe you just said that. Go ahead and follow the crowd.
Jan 3rd, 2009
EB
Grow up people
Jan 20th, 2009
Syd
I agree that this is unnecessarily cruel and all, but there is no way that you’ll get food poisoning from fish this fresh-it’s impossible.
Jan 31st, 2009
Aji
eewh………………..
that’s just plain disgusting.
there’s no way I would eat that thing
Feb 13th, 2009
Guy
Orgies, sex parties, and open relationships don’t involve disemboweling an animal and eating it while it’s still alive.
Mar 25th, 2009
kay
Orgies, sex parties, open relationships involve the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, psychological trauma, stress, depression, loss of self esteem, loss of trust and security in future relationships.
“one man’s treasure is another man’s trash”
May 17th, 2009
John Donkey
Who cares, they’re fish.
May 21st, 2009
Anonymous
it doesn’t matter if it’s considered acceptable in that culture, it’s barbaric and inhumane. some cultures consider slavery to be acceptable still, that doesn’t make it okay.
May 24th, 2009
SushiFan
I would definitely try that. I love sashimi. Also, fish are on par with rocks for intelligence… so I don’t really feel bad. Cows and such are a bit brighter, so I can understand revulsion at cruelty toward them.
But fish? Are you serious?
BTW I don’t eat vegetables or fungi, they’re living creatures. One time I saw a man violently on TV tear a mushroom out of the ground right in front of its spawn. It was awful, rhizomes and spores were everywhere. Then he deCAPitated it (come on), fried it in a burning hot pan, and ate it. If I ever find that guy’s name I’m going to kill him for being a sick, twisted pervert.
Go away, bleeding hearts. Also shopped.
May 25th, 2009
mike
“Orgies, sex parties, and open relationships don’t involve disemboweling an animal and eating it while it’s still alive.”
Thank you.
“Orgies, sex parties, open relationships involve the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, psychological trauma, stress, depression, loss of self esteem, loss of trust and security in future relationships.”
Yes, but they don’t involve disemboweling an animal and eating it while it’s still alive. Wake up.
Jun 6th, 2009
Marupinku
“Orgies, sex parties, and open relationships don’t involve disemboweling an animal and eating it while it’s still alive.”
You haven’t been going to the right orgies then, babe. ;333
Jun 18th, 2009
Hatchet
You guys seriously need to take a look at the animal kingdom. Eating something before it’s completely dead isn’t some kind of sick human fetish.
Granted, we like to consider ourselves morally above animals, but I would still maintain that this is fairly tame compared to the more uniquely human sicknesses that we force onto the world around us.
Oct 7th, 2009
Claire
Don’t think eating anything while it’s still alive is right (although that’s what we do to vegetables – onions continue to grow in the fridge), but don’t think some of the comments on here are warranted either.
Oct 21st, 2009
Anonymous
“it doesn’t matter if it’s considered acceptable in that culture, it’s barbaric and inhumane. some cultures consider slavery to be acceptable still, that doesn’t make it okay.”
You’re hilarious! Both slavery and eating live fish are just as perfectly okay as orgies, sex parties, and open relationships.
Oct 22nd, 2009
Liz
I think I could eat something still alive if it was alive and unharmed until I bit down on it, but torturing an animal for entertainment is just wrong. Fish are capable of experiencing pain (according to studies carried out by Bristol uni) so torture really is the right word for it. This is just sadism.
Nov 24th, 2009
q335r49
I seriously hate you people. You cultural relativists need to grow a pair of balls, right after you grow some brains (which is used for thinking and decision-making) and stand up for what you think is right. It’s not that 90% of the world is fucked up means it’s okay, that means that 90% of the world is fucked up.
Say no to vivisecting fish for pleasure, and don’t go to orgies if u have AIDS and think you are exploiting young girls and boys. Don’t play with somebody’s feelings if you think they’re into you and you’re just fucking them for fun, and don’t eat dogs.
You sick fucks.
Dec 7th, 2009
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