''Katsu ika odori-don'' (活いか踊り丼, dancing squid rice bowl) is a Japanese dish consisting of a fresh
squid
True squid are molluscs with an elongated soft body, large eyes, eight arms, and two tentacles in the superorder Decapodiformes, though many other molluscs within the broader Neocoleoidea are also called squid despite not strictly fitting t ...
atop either rice or noodles. Upon pouring
soy sauce
Soy sauce (also called simply soy in American English and soya sauce in British English) is a liquid condiment of Chinese origin, traditionally made from a fermented paste of soybeans, roasted grain, brine, and '' Aspergillus oryzae'' or ''Asp ...
on the squid, it squirms ("dances") as the muscles react to the
sodium in the sauce, in a similar manner to how
frog legs twitch when being seasoned. The dish is commonly served with salmon eggs and other toppings.
Preparation and serving
Noodles or rice are cooked and placed in a bowl and topped with salmon eggs and other ingredients. Next, a live squid's head is removed, and its body placed on top of the dish. When served, the squid appears lifeless until soy sauce, or any other sodium-rich liquid, is applied.
The sodium activates muscles which make the squid's arms wriggle momentarily. Occasionally, the movement is enough to escape the bowl. Afterward, the body is removed, sliced and placed on top of the dish.
Origin
The dish, based on the traditional Japanese dish "''ika-don''", was renamed to "''odori-don''" when the sushi restaurant Ikkatei Tabiji in Japan's Hokkaido Prefecture began serving the squid whole, as opposed to slicing it as was previous prepared.
"Dancing"
Although the squid seems to be momentarily alive, the phenomenon is a result of adding soy sauce, which contains sodium chloride. An increased concentration of sodium ions cause neurons adjacent to muscles in the tentacles to fire (see
action potential). Stimulation of the muscles by neurons causes an increase in the calcium concentration in muscle cells which, together with
adenosine triphosphate (ATP) left in the cells posthumously, results in
muscle contraction that make it seem like the squid is "dancing".
See also
*
Sannakji
''San-nakji'' () is a variety of ''Hoe (food), hoe'' (raw dish) made with Octopus minor, long arm octopus (''Octopus minor''), a small octopus species called ''nakji'' in Korean and is sometimes translated into "baby octopus" due to its relativ ...
*
Odorigui
''Odorigui'' ( 踊り食い, literally "dancing eating") is a mode of seafood consumption in Japanese cuisine.
''Odorigui'' refers to the consumption of live seafood while it is still moving, or the consumption of moving animal parts. Animals ...
References
External links
YouTube video of odori-don
Original Youtube video of Odori-don
{{Sushi, state=expanded
Sushi