Updated on 13 October 2026. The original 2007 post is kept below.
Live octopus: fun fact, real risk
Small correction from 2026: the most famous “still moving” octopus dish is actually Korean. Sannakji is long-arm octopus cut into pieces just before serving, so the tentacles are still wriggling when they reach the table, usually with sesame oil and sesame seeds. (Japan has its own live-seafood tradition, odorigui, but sannakji is the dish most people mean.)
The octopus is already dead when it’s served. The movement comes from nerves in the tentacles, which keep working for a while. The suction cups still stick, though, and that’s no joke. Korean fire authorities have recorded several choking deaths from live octopus, and in 2023 an 82-year-old man in Gwangju died after choking on it, as The Korea Herald and CNN reported.
If you try it, cut the pieces small, chew a lot and don’t rush. Or just watch the video and eat something that stays put.
More super-fresh seafood: ikizukuri sushi and live fish sushi.
From the 2007 original
(The original video in this post is no longer available.)
The Japanese people love their octopus tentacle sushi nice and fresh!
I myself have yet even tried eating live oysters. Should try them sometimes though.
