Animals That Aren't Dead When We Eat Them

Traveling, and reading about cuisines of other cultures, often leads us to learn about the various culinary delicacies of and taste buds of cultures around the world. 

Chilled Ants

Flickr: bruceheavin

One salad sprinkled with groggy, chilled ants, please. That's right. In Copenhagen, Denmark one restaurant serves ants in its salad as a crunchy, gluten-free alternative to croutons that tastes like ginger, cilantro, and lemongrass.

Sea Urchins

Photo Credit: Larsco2013

Yes, those black spiny balls that look like they can prick you like a needle are, in fact, alive and are eaten around the Mediterranean. Well, part of them is; Sea urchins' spiny shells contain a living creature, or at least its gonads.

Breathing Fish

In Japan, you can eat ikizukuri, or a filleted fish that's served while the fish is still gasping for air. The mangled body is arranged on a plate with the live head used as decoration. For ethical reasons the dish is banned in many countries.

Dancing Shrimp

Photo Credit: Flickr/Kwong Eats

Odori Ebi is a Japanese delicacy and sashimi dish that contains still living, young shrimp that is still capable of moving its legs and antenna while being eaten. The meal is prepared quickly, and often the shrimp is dumped into some sake, making the shrimp intoxicated before being eaten. 

Squirming Octopus

Photo Credit: Flickr/Lyu Slide

In Korea, squirming octopus is called sannakji, or small octopus that is chopped up and served to diners while it's still alive and squirming, and it's considered a local delicacy.