''San-nakji'' () is a variety of ''
hoe'' (raw dish) made with
long arm octopus (''Octopus minor''), a small octopus species called ''nakji'' in Korean and is sometimes translated into "baby octopus" due to its relatively small size compared to the
giant octopus
''Enteroctopus'' is an octopus genus whose members are sometimes known as giant octopus.
Etymology
The generic name ''Enteroctopus'' was created by Alphonse Tremeau de Rochebrune and Jules François Mabille in 1887 and published in 1889, join ...
(''Enteroctopus dofleini'').
The octopuses are most commonly killed before being cut into small pieces and served, with the nerve activity in the octopus' tentacles making the pieces move posthumously on the plate whilst served. The octopus' highly complex
nervous system
In biology, the nervous system is the highly complex part of an animal that coordinates its actions and sensory information by transmitting signals to and from different parts of its body. The nervous system detects environmental changes ...
, with two-thirds of its
neuron
A neuron, neurone, or nerve cell is an electrically excitable cell that communicates with other cells via specialized connections called synapses. The neuron is the main component of nervous tissue in all animals except sponges and placozoa. ...
s localised in the nerve cords of its arms, lets the octopus show a variety of
reflex actions that persist even when they have no input from the brain. Less commonly, a live octopus is eaten whole. The dish is sprinkled with
sesame oil
Sesame oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from sesame seeds. The oil is one of the earliest-known crop-based oils. Worldwide mass modern production is limited due to the inefficient manual harvesting process required to extract the oil. ...
and toasted
sesame seeds.
Eating
Because the suction cups on the arm pieces are still active when the dish is served, special care should be taken when eating sannakji. The active suction cups can cause swallowed pieces of arm to stick to the mouth or throat. This can also present a choking hazard for some people, particularly if they are intoxicated.
Language difference
Vocabularies in the two Koreas differ on ''nakji'': South Koreans call ''
Octopus minor
''Octopus minor'', otherwise known as the long arm octopus or the Korean common octopus, is a small-bodied octopus species distributed along the benthic coastal waters surrounding Eastern China, Japan, and the Korean Peninsula. It lives at depths ...
'', a small kind of octopus (often mistranslated as "baby octopus") ''nakji'', while North Koreans call a
squid ''nakji'' (''nakchi'' in
McCune–Reischauer romanization).
Prevalence
''Sannakji'' is served in
Korean restaurant
Korean cuisine has evolved through centuries of social and political change. Originating from ancient agricultural and nomadic traditions in Korea and southern Manchuria, Korean cuisine reflects a complex interaction of the natural envi ...
s that serve sliced raw fish, but it also can be found at bars as a snack to accompany alcoholic beverages, such as
soju
(; Hangul: ; Hanja: ) is a clear and colorless Korean distilled alcoholic beverage. It is usually consumed neat. Its alcohol content varies from about 12.9% to 53% alcohol by volume (ABV), although since 2007 low alcohol soju below 20% h ...
.
Health hazard
Consuming ''sannakji'' is potentially dangerous due to
choking hazard. Because the cephalopod's limbs contain neurons, the extremities continue to move and the suction cups along its tentacles maintain their gripping power that might attach to one's throat, even after getting detached from the body and doused with sesame oil. Several incidents of choking on ''Sannakji'' have been reported, such as a 2008 incident in
Gwangju.
Yonhap News
Yonhap News Agency is a major South Korean news agency. It is based in Seoul, South Korea. Yonhap provides news articles, pictures and other information to newspapers, TV networks and other media in South Korea.
History
Yonhap (, , translit. ...
2008-01-2
광주서 산낙지 먹다 기도막힌 사고 잇따라
/ref>
See also
* ''Drunken shrimp
Drunken shrimp (), also known as drunken prawns, is a popular dish in parts of China based on freshwater shrimp that are sometimes eaten cooked or raw. The shrimp are immersed in liquor to make consumption easier. Different parts of China have ...
'', shrimp sometimes eaten alive in Chinese cuisine
Chinese cuisine encompasses the numerous cuisines originating from China, as well as overseas cuisines created by the Chinese diaspora. Because of the Chinese diaspora and historical power of the country, Chinese cuisine has influenced many o ...
* ''Ikizukuri
, also known as , (roughly translated as "prepared alive") is the preparing of sashimi (raw fish) from live seafood. In this Japanese culinary technique, the most popular sea animal used is fish, but octopus, shrimp, and lobster may also be used. ...
'', the preparation of sashimi
is a Japanese delicacy consisting of fresh raw fish or meat sliced into thin pieces and often eaten with soy sauce.
Origin
The word ''sashimi'' means "pierced body", i.e. " 刺身" = ''sashimi'', where 刺 し = ''sashi'' (pierced, stu ...
from living animals
* '' Odori ebi'', shrimp eaten alive in Japanese cuisine
Japanese cuisine encompasses the regional and traditional foods of Japan, which have developed through centuries of political, economic, and social changes. The traditional cuisine of Japan (Japanese: ) is based on rice with miso soup and oth ...
References
{{Seafood
Korean cuisine
Octopus dishes
Cruelty to animals
Dishes involving the consumption of live animals
Potentially dangerous food