Exploring the World through Raw and Alluring Cuisines

Raw cuisine has long been considered an art form in cooking. Professional chefs always seek ways to preserve dishes to keep them as fresh as possible and minimize nutrient loss during cooking.

In some places, raw dishes are regarded not only as delicious but also nutritious, surpassing their cooked counterparts.

Shrimp and Fish

In Japan, fish is commonly used in dishes like sashimi, made entirely from fresh ingredients. Live shrimp is often served whole, dipped in wasabi. Fish is filleted right when it's still alive, served while the heart is still beating and the mouth is still moving. Sometimes, the fish is even returned to a tank around the dining table for the next cut.

Eating the Heart and Drinking Snake Blood

Snake blood is often mixed with alcohol, but in some places, the preference is for fresh snake blood. Particularly, the beating heart or the fresh snake bile is considered an aphrodisiac in traditional Chinese medicine, highly favored by men. Some find the taste of this food and drink quite gamey, but that doesn't deter its enthusiasts who believe in its potential vitality-boosting effects.

Larvae and Insects

While many people express disgust for larvae and insects, they actually provide a substantial source of protein for the body. In some places, especially in Asia, insects are mainly processed through methods like grilling, frying, coating with flour, etc. However, with certain dishes like Coconut Worms (larvae form of long-horned beetle) in Vietnam, they are considered a delicacy, especially when consumed raw after decapitation.

Sea Urchin

Also known as sea hedgehogs, porcupine fish, or urchins, this creature is a common delicacy in Japan, Italy, Spain, South Korea, and Chile. Sea urchins have a hard outer shell, a round body covered in many spines. Interestingly, the edible part of sea urchins is their reproductive organs (not eggs). Each sea urchin has five tongues of flesh, with a salty and creamy taste, resembling the pure richness of Italy's panna cotta dessert.

Frog

To swiftly serve Frog Sashimi to diners while ensuring its freshness, chefs use a knife to open the frog's belly and remove inedible parts. The frog is then skinned, and its heart is eaten right after being taken out of the chest cavity, while still beating.

Afterward, chefs filter the frog's body to extract the meat for Sashimi, serving it to customers, while the remaining bones are used for a complementary soup. Remarkably, chefs often carve the meat from frogs that are still alive right in front of diners. Even after being 'served on the plate,' the frog's head continues to twitch, and its eyes still blink.

Watch the preparation of Frog Sashimi at the restaurant:

Oyster

In Western culinary culture, oysters are a common dish consumed while still alive. Oysters are considered a healthy food when eaten raw. In Eastern cuisine, oysters are viewed as a particularly good food for men, especially when consumed raw or with a hint of accompanying spices.

Escargot

Snails used in cuisine have a different variety compared to those in Vietnam. They are highly favored in some European countries such as Germany, France, Austria, etc. In addition to traditional snails that specialize in eating white clover and dry grass, there are many other types like snails that prefer carrots.

These snails look peculiar with their orange-yellow color, commanding a price of up to 80 euros/kg. Bulgaria and Bosnia & Herzegovina are among the countries specializing in breeding snails for export, with quantities in the hundreds of tons each year. Some diners believe that just adding a bit of seasoning is enough to enjoy these snails raw.

Octopus

In South Korea, the dish of live octopus is often referred to as 'sannakji.' With a basic move by skillful chefs, unnecessary parts of the octopus are removed, and the tentacles remain squirming. Sannakji is highly favored by diners for its exquisite taste of fresh meat.

Many describe the sensation as if the tentacles are autonomously crawling down their throats while savoring this dish. Some have had to spit or vomit on their first try, but the majority believe that diners become addicted once they get used to it.

 By Hoang Trung Synthesis

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Reference: Travel guide from Mytour