Ikizukuri
Encyclopedia
Japanese cuisine
Japanese cuisine has developed over the centuries as a result of many political and social changes throughout Japan. The cuisine eventually changed with the advent of the Medieval age which ushered in a shedding of elitism with the age of shogun rule...
, is the preparation of sashimi
Sashimi
Sashimi is a Japanese delicacy. It consists of very fresh raw meat, most commonly fish, sliced into thin pieces.-Origin:The word sashimi means "pierced body", i.e...
from a live sea animal, such as fish
Fish (food)
Fish is a food consumed by many species, including humans. The word "fish" refers to both the animal and to the food prepared from it. Fish has been an important source of protein for humans throughout recorded history.-Terminology:...
, shrimp
Shrimp
Shrimp are swimming, decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water. Adult shrimp are filter feeding benthic animals living close to the bottom. They can live in schools and can swim rapidly backwards. Shrimp are an important...
, and lobster
Lobster
Clawed lobsters comprise a family of large marine crustaceans. Highly prized as seafood, lobsters are economically important, and are often one of the most profitable commodities in coastal areas they populate.Though several groups of crustaceans are known as lobsters, the clawed lobsters are most...
.
Ikizukuri usually involves the customer selecting the animal they wish to eat from a saltwater tank. The chef, who is often a sashimi (chef
Chef
A chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...
), takes the animal out of the tank, and carefully fillets it, without killing the animal. The sea animal is served on a plate, its sliced flesh served on top of it for decoration, with its heart still beating. Other variants of ikizukuri involve temporarily returning a filleted fish to an aquarium, where it swims around until it is prepared as the second course soup
Soup
Soup is a generally warm food that is made by combining ingredients such as meat and vegetables with stock, juice, water, or another liquid. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ingredients in liquids in a pot until the flavors are extracted, forming a broth.Traditionally,...
.
Ikizukuri of fish
Fish (food)
Fish is a food consumed by many species, including humans. The word "fish" refers to both the animal and to the food prepared from it. Fish has been an important source of protein for humans throughout recorded history.-Terminology:...
consists of thin, sheet-like slices or finger-sized pieces of sashimi
Sashimi
Sashimi is a Japanese delicacy. It consists of very fresh raw meat, most commonly fish, sliced into thin pieces.-Origin:The word sashimi means "pierced body", i.e...
, sometimes garnished with lemon wedges, a decoration of ginger
Ginger
Ginger is the rhizome of the plant Zingiber officinale, consumed as a delicacy, medicine, or spice. It lends its name to its genus and family . Other notable members of this plant family are turmeric, cardamom, and galangal....
, or nori
Nori
is the Japanese name for various edible seaweed species of the red alga Porphyra including most notably P. yezoensis and P. tenera, sometimes called laver. Finished products are made by a shredding and rack-drying process that resembles papermaking...
(seaweed).
The preparation of ikizukuri is controversial, and is banned in several countries, including Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
See also
- Odori ebiOdori ebi' is a delicacy of Sashimi. It is translated as living or dancing shrimp. The sushi contains baby shrimp still alive and able to still move its legs and antenna while being eaten. The meal is prepared quickly to keep the shrimp still alive, usually dunked into sake in order to intoxicate the...
, shrimp eaten alive in Japanese cuisine - Drunken shrimpDrunken shrimpDrunken shrimp is a popular dish in portions of China based on fresh-water shrimp that are often eaten alive, but stunned in a strong liquor—baijiu —to make consumption easier. Different parts of China have different recipes for it...
, shrimp eaten alive in Chinese cuisineChinese cuisineChinese cuisine is any of several styles originating in the regions of China, some of which have become highly popular in other parts of the world – from Asia to the Americas, Australia, Western Europe and Southern Africa... - SannakjiSannakjiSannakji or sannakji hoe is a variety of hoe, or raw dish, in Korean cuisine. It consists of live nakji that has been cut into small pieces and served immediately, usually lightly seasoned with sesame and sesame oil. The nakji pieces are usually still squirming on the plate...
, octopus eaten alive in Korean cuisine - Ying Yang fishYing Yang fishYing Yang fish or Yin Yang fish in Taiwanese cuisine is a dish which consists of a deep-fried whole fish that remains alive after cooking preparation. Though popular in China, it originated in Taiwan where chefs cook the dish to display the freshness of the fish to the customer...
, partially deep-fried fish eaten alive in mainland China and Taiwanese cuisineTaiwanese cuisineTaiwanese cuisine has several variations. In addition to the following representative dishes from the people of Hoklo ethnicity , there are also Aboriginal, Hakka, and local derivatives of Chinese cuisines .Taiwanese cuisine itself is often associated with influences from mid to southern...