Live octopus or Sannakji is a popular Korean dish where small octopuses are fished from the tank and served straight onto the table. It can be served whole or snipped into pieces with a pair of scissors.
Many feel Sannakji should be eaten while it is still moving as it means it is still fresh.
The taste of sannakji is similar to eating other octopus dishes. What makes it different is the feeling of tiny suction pads from the tentacles attaching to the insides of your mouth.
While most chew the octopus until it stops moving before swallowing, there are others who like the feeling of moving tentacles sliding down their throats. This can be dangerous as it may cause choking which can result in death.
Many people have posted YouTube videos of themselves and their friends eating the dish. In one, an Asian-American food blogger, who goes by the moniker ScienceBunny, eats a whole sannakji on her last day in Seoul.
After squirming for about two minutes when she tried to pick up the baby octopus, she manages to stuff it into her mouth.
ScienceBunny described sannakji as being "gooey" and "sticking all over the place".
In 2010, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) protested against two Korean restaurants in New York, and tried to file charges against restaurants that prepare and serve live animals, reported Korea Times.
A spokesperson from one of the restaurants said that sannakji is killed before being served. The reason the chopped up tentacles are moving is due to the nerve activity.
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