Banned — Sannakji: the Asphyxiation Octopus

There are few things in the world that I would not eat. I’m fairly adventurous and there has yet to be anything in this Banned series that I wouldn’t have tried (though the blood clams I’d eat would most definitely not be from China). Sannakji is where I draw the line — I like my food to stay still on my plate.

What is Sannakji?

Put simply, Sannakji is live octopus. In actuality, it’s a little more complex than that.

Records show that Sannakji has been consumed since the Three Kingdoms period of Korea, as early as 57 BC. It is made from nakji, the Korean common Octopus, sometimes translated to ‘baby octopus’, because of their small size. This translation adds an extra layer of discomfort for the casual observer so it should be noted that Sannakji is not ‘baby octopus’, and ‘small octopus’ may be more accurate when the context is considered.

The preparation of Sannakji appears to have remained unchanged since the early Three Kingdoms: it is eaten raw. Raw may actually be a bit of an understatement. Steak Tartare, minced beef or horse, topped with raw egg, is a raw dish. Sannakji is not only raw, it is alive. Sannakji is considered a type of Ikizukuri, a Japanese term that means prepared alive.