Too fresh? Xenia Tan's twitching sashimi in Japan is making people squirm

When it comes to sashimi, fresh often equals flavour.

Local actress Xenia Tan recently found out that the freshness of sashimi can sometimes come at a cost to the diner.

No, we're not talking monetary. It was, quite literally, a situation that was too hard to swallow for both Xenia and her fiance Shawn Thia. 

On their trip to Japan, the couple was served sashimi so fresh it was still moving on the plate.

Last Saturday (Jan 7), Xenia shared a clip of the couple looking rather bewildered as they attempted to process the dish that just arrived on the table.

[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@hotcheekylace/video/7185788944867413250?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7127081970231854594[/embed]

"I cannot eat eh [sic]. It's a bit too fresh," Shawn admitted.

After finding the courage to pick up his pair of chopsticks, he froze as he made eye contact with the fish.

Its body had been sliced, but the head and tail were still twitching.

The couple said they "feel super bad" about eating the fish. In fact, they could be heard discussing whether the fish was still alive.

After some back and forth, neither felt comfortable with tucking into their plate of sashimi and called a restaurant staff over for help.

"This one hor, scary. Can remove [sic]?" Shawn asked, pointing to the fish's head.

Thankfully, the restaurant staff understood their discomfort and was able to comply to the request. 

The dish returned to their table as sashimi pieces, with both fish head and tail removed.

In the comments section, netizens had their say about whether such a dish should be deemed as cruel or nothing more than extremely fresh.

"It looks like it's fighting for his [sic] life and trying to find water," a netizen said.

One TikTok user countered this by mentioning that there was little else the couple could do, so they might as well enjoy this unique sashimi experience.

What's ikizukuri?

This type of sashimi is known as ikizukuri, where seafood is prepared alive — lending a whole different meaning to "fresh fish".

When it comes to fish, it is tradition in Japan to slice off a few thin pieces while keeping the bulk of the fish intact. This allows the diner to "clearly see the beating heart and quivering flesh" of the fish.

Other common seafood served as ikizukuri include octopus, shrimp and lobster.

This culinary technique is controversial as some find it cruel while supporters argue that it's part of Japan's cultural heritage.

[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/Btik3NkHhTt/[/embed]

ALSO READ: Octopus nearly rips off face of Chinese livestreamer who tries to eat it alive

amierul@asiaone.com

No part of this story or photos can be reproduced without permission from AsiaOne.