Yummy... Korean Food

I'm was in Korea just. And the fun thing about being in a different country, is to learn new culture/peoples, and stuff unique to them, and yes the food.

Here's something I tried last saturday... guess what it is?

yes, looks yummy, chocolates you say?

ok, here's a yummier picture - close up (left), and no, they are not Chocoloates, as you can see.

It's actually a silkworm larvae (not butterfly cocoon, as I was told before) - I knew there had to be a better use than just producing silk - and the Koreans love them!

It's called bbeondaeggi, sold by the street boiled (see picture on right), and served in a cup - just like sweet corn!

Unfotunately, there is nothing sweet about this snack - full of protein they may be (my kind colleagues assured me, whilst munching on a toothpick full of them), but besides how they look (they look like legless fat cockroaches) they taste as bad as they look - yes, surprisingly, they were unpleasant to eat. Vile actually.

Been there, done that - can't say I'm happy to try that again.

I got my colleagues to bring me to try another Korean speciality - san nak ji. Here's a look (see right). Now, it is served in a restaurant, so nothing like street bugs.



Looks familiar?

ok, let me tell you what it is - it is live baby octopus. Yes, they fish out a live one, chop it up, add some sesami oil, and serve it fresh - no, not fresh, still wriggling/writhing. I kid you not - the octopus on the plate, every bit of it was wriggling! Strangely, I felt cruel, and sad for the octopus who had to die a pretty horrific slow death - then it was time not to waste the guy's death, and eat. I used my chopstick, hold on to the plate to pull him off (the suction cups still work), and as you hold it, the guys is wriggling, and curling around the chopstick. And when you put it in your mouth, I got a big shock! yes, because the suction cups still work, they stick to your inside cheeks and tongue - it just caught me by surprise. But it ends quite quickly when you chew.

Taste? taste like octopus sashimi - but really chewy. Did I say that it was fresh?

[update 20Apr]

Friend told me that there is another version, where you get to eat a whole octopus live! they put a really small one in a shot glass, put some alcohol (i think) in it, and u just bottoms up - yummy.

u are supposed not to chew so fast, play with your food inside your mouth(yes, your mummy told you not to, but hey) , then chew it. Advice has it to chew it well, before attempting to swallow.

now, i think that this will be mentally rather challenging... yes, I don't take alcohol.