I don’t know why I haven’t been aware of this before now, but it has just occurred to me that oysters are eaten while they are still alive. If I am correct in this, are there any other creatures that are normally eaten while still alive?
Grubs in Africa perhaps? And you could argue that plants and fruits are still alive when eaten.
Some other shellfish - for example, cockles and mussels are eaten raw and alive, but usually only by those who are harvesting them, at the time of collecting.
Witchetty grubs are eaten either raw and alive, or lightly cooked. The same is probably true of a number of insects, in those cultures that habitually eat them.
Mostly fish and shellfish that I know of. I have heard of insects, but only anecdotally.
If prawns, shrimp, etc are sea insects, and dolphins and whales are sea mammals, is everything in between like the equivalent of a sea reptile?
I’m pretty sure the in-betweeners are classified as “fish.”
Anisakiasis, Blastocystosis, Clonorchiasis, Coccidia, Dientamoebiasis, Sparganosis, Toxocariasis, Trichinosis, Toxoplasma gondii, and then there are your flukes, pinworms, roundworms, tapeworms and whipworms.
Crying cockles and mussels, alive, alive-O [sweet Molly Malone]
This guy: http:/ /www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivstO1Nv0rY
Bacteria. Whether you want to or not.
Cheers for that, 'hal.
Yogurt.
Octopus
And that’s where I draw the line at eating strange stuff.
“Snake Surprise”?
The Florida stone crab. The crabs are caught, the claws are removed, and the crab is returned to the water. If done correctly, the crab will survive and regrow the claws in about a year.
I’ve had the following served to me while still alive:
- 2 small prawns, in a wooden cage;
- a type of lobster called “Ise-ebi” whose tail muscle had been carved into thin slices and arrayed decoratively around the still living animal. I found this very disturbing.
Fish are often sliced into sashimi while still alive. Assuming it takes several minutes to die, and that it is served to you promptly, it is entirely possible the fish would still be alive while you are eating slices of it. I find this very disturbing too.
Ick.
I saw a show featuring weird food from around the globe and it featured this dish from Japan.
‘Disturbing’ doesn’t even begin to describe it for me. I have no idea how smart or dumb a lobster is, but having something looking at me while I’m eating it just seems… barbaric.
Sea urchins : open the shell with a knife, pick up and eat the tasty parts inside, throw back into the sea.