Most people who die while eating often do so because they’ve choked on the food or failed to cook it properly, not because the food itself has started sucking on them.
What a strange sight that would be.
However, one delicacy is so dangerous that, if not prepared and eaten correctly, it can result in a horrific death - because that might be the case.
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One Korean dish, known as 'sannakji', is eaten while it's still alive.
That's as fresh as it can get.
It’s an octopus that is prepared in a way that means its still moving when it is served.
While the octopus is alive, its sliced up into pieces and served immediately. The dish, often referred to as ‘wriggling octopus’, might make those who are squeamish squirm a bit - pardon the pun.
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As we all know, octopuses have suckers on their eight tentacles, it’s how the pesky creatures are able to free themselves from jars and climb up the side of tanks - amongst other things.
These suckers can be still active once the fish is served, meaning that some diners have died whilst eating as the pieces become stuck in their throats.
If you remember that video of the blogger with the octopus stuck to her face, then you'll understand how this can be dangerous.
But don’t worry though, if prepared correctly, then this dangerous dish can be safe to consume.
Firstly, the mucus is removed from the tentacles - because it isn't pleasant to eat - and then they are cut into tiny pieces that won’t obstruct the diners’ airways, a nutritionist told Insider in 2019.
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This then helps to minimise the choking hazard of sannakji.
Another dish that can kill if incorrectly prepared might also surprise you - unless you've seen The Simpson's episode about it.
Fugu, also known as pufferfish or blowfish, has internal organs absolutely filled with life-threatening amounts of the poison tetrodotoxin - for which there is no known antidote.
Tetrodotoxin, which is believed to be a staggering 10,000 times more poisonous than cyanide, is found especially in the liver, the ovaries, eyes, and skin of the fish.
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The poison, which is a sodium channel blocker, effectively works by paralysing the muscles while the victim stays fully conscious.
The unlucky individual is then left completely unable to breathe and eventually dies from asphyxiation.
Not a nice thought at all, that.
Because of this, fugu must be prepared with the utmost care and precision in order to successfully remove the toxic parts and avoid contaminating the rest of the flesh.
So, given the fatal poisoning risk attached to consuming the scran - it's no surprise that the preparation of fugu is strictly controlled by law in Japan, Korea and other countries that serve it - with chefs having to train for years to prepare it.
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Topics: Food And Drink
Harley Young